Discussion as a Way of Teaching

I've had a few bad discussion experiences in college. Many of them were bad for two reasons. 1) the professor or teacher monopolized the discussion, making the students uncomfortable and not willing to speak, or 2) some or all students did not have respect for each other and could not discuss things without it turning into an ad hominem argument. When I was reading the case study in section 20 about the "Discussion from Hell", in Gary Lofthouse's class, I was reminded of those awful discussions. I think that discussions, whether small or whole class discussions, are really great for learning ONLY if the students participating are willing and mature enough. Some classes are not built for intense discussions like that, and instead prefer to write out their thoughts. But my job as a teacher is to determine whether classes are ready for discussions and to make sure that there are boundaries for students and that discussions are productive not harmful.
I think an important part of discussions also is allowing for students to reflect when discussions are over. By asking them to write a few sentences or small paragraph, particularly after an intense discussion, it can allow students to gather their thoughts and understand what they discussed. And my job, as I am reading through them, is to check that all students are being heard and valued. I want discussions to be helpful for deepening understanding of texts and issues, and to help students learn how to be involved in mature and well-thought out discussions.

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