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illu45  ·  3287 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Undergrads: Do you ever feel defensive? HELP!

I've TAd for a course that deals with some pretty sensitive topics, such as race, sexuality, immigration etc. The most helpful thing for me has been to ensure that disagreements focus on statements rather than the people making them. Saying either of "I disagree with you" and "I disagree with the idea that..." can definitely make people defensive, but the latter tends to lead to more productive discussions about the issue than the former, in my experience.