Funded by by PESGB, this weekend residential in 2025, was facilitated by Dr Darren Chetty and used Philosophical Enquiry methods to explore some of the ethical issues that confront teachers.
Teachers
Troubling incidents of racism in the classroom
This project, funded by the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB) in celebration of their 60th anniversary, revived the Philosophy for Teachers (P4T) work first developed by Dr Carrie Winstanley, Dr Janet Orchard and Dr Ruth Heilbronn.
Thoughtful collaborated with the original team and Kate O’Shaughnessy, to convene a heavily subsidised residential weekend for teachers, teacher educators and academics from the UK are Ireland which took place on Friday 24th October – Sunday 26th October 2025, at Charney Manor, Oxfordshire.
As well as eating together and exploring the peaceful surroundings – a rare treat for busy teachers – we used Philosophical Enquiry methods to explore ethical issues that arise for teachers in the classroom. Our guest speaker for the event was Dr Darren Chetty whose expertise in racism and P4C framed the event around the challenges educators face when tackling and talking about troubling incidents of racism.
Dr Grace Lockrobin’s work on the significance of stories in ethics education also encouraged the group to think critically about how narratives from the classroom can both help and hinder ethical thinking.
The weekend was enriched by the experiences and expertise of a diverse group of educators whose practice, research and lived experience underscored the importance of these professional conversations.
