Setting Expectations for Interactive Discussions
In order to facilitate more
effective discussions, we cannot simply sit back and hope that our students
understand what we expect them to do when we discuss a text. We need to make
our expectations for interactive discussions clear and explicit, sharing our
ideas and preferred vision for these discussions with our students if we expect
them to participate in particular ways. When we share our expectations with our
students, we help them understand the purposes and procedures for these
interactions. I have listed below some expectations that I would share with my
students early in the school year to help set the tone for our discussions.
- Ideas are
Honestly Reported – Expecting students to share what they honestly
think and feel is the most important goal we can instill in our students.
If students aren’t willing to share what they really think our discussions
are doomed to fail. We need to develop a sense of community in our
classrooms that makes students feel comfortable enough to be willing to
share their thoughts with honesty and integrity. I have suggested during
my professional development workshops that we need to allow students to
feel comfortable enough to tell us that they hate our favorite book – and,
even more importantly, why they dislike it. If they feel comfortable enough
to do that, maybe they will share their honest reactions to the other
texts we read and share.
- Listening Well
and Thinking Deeply are As Important As Talking – Successful
discussions require people to share ideas, but they also require people to
listen to what has been said and to think about these ideas. Every student
involves themselves in the life of our classrooms in different ways. Some
offer ideas frequently, while others are more reticent to share what they
think. In our desire to get students to share their thoughts, we can’t
forget that those students who aren’t sharing every day may be listening
carefully and considering what has been discussed.
- Involve
Yourselves in the Discussion in Various Ways - We need to find
multiple ways for everyone to share their ideas. For example, having
students turn to a partner and sharing their ideas with one person before
sharing with the whole class ensures that everyone has an opportunity to
speak and be heard. The more variety of ways of responding we can provide,
the more voices we will hear.
- Address Other
Students as Well as the Teacher – Too often, students speak through us
to other students rather than directly to each other. We don’t want to
position ourselves in our discussions as the hub that all talk flows
through. When a student disagrees or agrees with another student they need
to talk to that student, not through us. Sitting in physical arrangements
that allow students to see one another is a good way to encourage this
type of interaction.
- Half Baked Ideas
are Accepted and Encouraged – We cannot wait until our students have
“fully baked” their ideas before they are willing to offer them. I like it
when students tentatively offer their ideas, sharing their thought
processes and current thinking. For example, when students says, “I’m kind of thinking
that maybe the main character in the story should not have acted the way
they did because they hurt other people” you get a sense of their thinking
in process. Our discussions should support our students’ thinking in
process and not just their final interpretations.
- Consider What
Has Been Offered by Other Students – Listening to other students leads
to considering what has been offered. Sometimes the ideas our students
offer seem to be disjointed meaning they don’t seem to have paid attention
to what has been said and what has been previously offered. We want
students to take up from what has been shared and move the discussion in
new directions.
- Be Willing to
Reconsider Your Ideas – Coming to a discussion unwilling to consider
what other people think and to be reluctant to change one’s mind can doom
classroom discussions. We want students to come to our discussions with
honest ideas, ones that they are passionate about, but at the same time
willing to consider the ideas that other students bring.
Every year I set
out to create a caring, democratic classroom environment in which my students
feel empowered to speak out about issues that really matter to them and where
their personal experiences and interpretations are heard and considered by all
members of our classroom community. This kind of classroom environment needs to
be both challenging and supportive, a place where a student feels free to
express popular and unpopular interpretations and opinions. We need to be able
to create a space where there is a basic respect for all individuals in the
community, even during times of intellectual challenge.
