Thoughts on Successful Classroom Discussion
After reading Stephen Brookfield's "Discussion as a Way of Teaching," I walked away with a much clearer understanding of how to facilitate successful discussions in my classroom. As a future high school English teacher, it is my goal to make discussions a main focus for my classes. As Brookfield points out, however, discussions can easily go wayward and no longer serve their purpose of enhancing learning. That is why discussion tools are so helpful. Not only do they provide a basis for sparking discussions, but they serve as a way to redirect off-topic discussions.
The discussion exercise I am most likely to use in a class that is apprehensive to sharing ideas is Circular Response Discussions. It is a way to involve each student and build the themes and key details in a discussion. This technique honors the individual's voice while establishing ground rules. As an anxious high school student who was afraid of nothing more than being called on to speak in front of the whole class, I believe this exercise would have challenged me to participate in an environment where I felt like my ideas were free from ridicule. As tempting as it is to allow students who are afraid to speak up in class to sit quietly in their chairs, it is critical to involve them in class conversations in gentle, reassuring ways.
I think, as a teacher, it is important to recognize that students who never raise their hand in class don't necessarily have nothing to say. They may just be afraid to voice their thoughts, especially if they have had negative past experiences with discussions. For me, the fear of sharing my ideas stemmed from the fact that there were a good portion of students in my AP class who were highly critical of responses that didn't align with their views. I had shared ideas before that had been laughed at or challenged in a disrespectful way and it kept me from participating in future discussions. Given my experience, I intend to be the kind of teacher who is attentive to the needs of my students and facilitates discussions that honor each student's voice.
The discussion exercise I am most likely to use in a class that is apprehensive to sharing ideas is Circular Response Discussions. It is a way to involve each student and build the themes and key details in a discussion. This technique honors the individual's voice while establishing ground rules. As an anxious high school student who was afraid of nothing more than being called on to speak in front of the whole class, I believe this exercise would have challenged me to participate in an environment where I felt like my ideas were free from ridicule. As tempting as it is to allow students who are afraid to speak up in class to sit quietly in their chairs, it is critical to involve them in class conversations in gentle, reassuring ways.
I think, as a teacher, it is important to recognize that students who never raise their hand in class don't necessarily have nothing to say. They may just be afraid to voice their thoughts, especially if they have had negative past experiences with discussions. For me, the fear of sharing my ideas stemmed from the fact that there were a good portion of students in my AP class who were highly critical of responses that didn't align with their views. I had shared ideas before that had been laughed at or challenged in a disrespectful way and it kept me from participating in future discussions. Given my experience, I intend to be the kind of teacher who is attentive to the needs of my students and facilitates discussions that honor each student's voice.
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