Week 2, January 13th 2020

I think an important part of why discussion fails that wasn’t a part of the guide was that some students feel uncomfortable talking in larger groups. When I was in school, I never participated in discussions because I was afraid of sounding like I didn’t know what I was talking about and wasn’t confident enough in myself to interject in class discussions. This could partly go with reward systems being askew, because I would find myself only participating for a short amount of time when there was a grade attached to the amount of times you spoke. This issue is being more widely addressed with teachers including online discussions to support the in-class discussions for those students who feel uncomfortable speaking to the class. I also have found it helpful in my own life to get into smaller 3-5 person groups before coming together as a class so students who are uncomfortable with speaking to a larger group get an opportunity to throw around their ideas, and get some validation from external sources about them.

I really liked the hatful of quotes exercise. I think by passing out the quotes in class would be helpful for working on their skills for thinking critically and quickly. I think it would also be helpful to have students pick out two or three quotes while they are reading to discuss in class. This would also help students be more prepared for discussions. I’ve often found that discussions move quickly and it’s important to either have something written out that students know they need to talk about, or help them gain the skills to think on their feet, and mold their ideas to fit whatever discussion is happening. I think creating a safe and welcoming environment where students feel their ideas are valid and important, not only to the teacher but to their peers as well.