Discussion as a Way of Teaching
As a college
student, discussions have always been filled with anxiety and dread. Even
though after the discussion, I can see the value in it, and appreciate what I
have learned. In the beginning of my education journey, I thought discussions
were a way of taking pressure off the teacher, a way to shirk the
responsibilities of teaching. However, since then I have learned and matured
and I see that discussions might just be one of the most powerful tools
teachers use. Stephen Brookfield says that some students who are introverts or
shy tend to not speak during discussions, making it even harder to come out of
their shell. As a teacher, we would not be doing that student any favors by
allowing them to keep silent during discussion. That’s where this article comes
into play. Mr. Brookfield offers up many suggestions on how to get that quiet
student involved.
The “Hatful of
Quotes” idea has a lot of value for those students who don’t feel comfortable
expressing their own thoughts. With this method, the teacher fills the hat with
slips of paper that have quotes on them, and each student pulls one out and
reads aloud adding more discussion. I believe this is a good idea, because even
the shy students can wait until the end and build upon other students’
comments. This is a way of limiting some of the stress and anxiety
involved. I see this as a valuable tool
since it is taking baby-steps to get the students prepared for open group
discussion.
Another great idea
to get students talking is “Roles participants play.” In this exercise, there
are three roles: The storyteller, the detective and the umpire. In
role-playing, a person has a specific job to do, helping to alleviate their own
stress. By stepping out of their usual self, now they have a specific task to
do. This is a great exercise for students, allowing them to deliver their
thoughts while interacting with the other “roles.” Stephen Brookfield says to
also change up the characters so each can experience the ways of communicating.
“All participants in the group play
all three of these roles at different times. The idea is that the behaviors
associated with each role gradually become habitual.”
Mr. Brookfield’s Discussion as a Way of Teaching, has many ideas that I would
implement in my future classroom, especially the CIQ (Critical Index
Questionnaire). Students can anonymously state the areas that were beneficial,
and what aspects were a detriment. I believe this is great feedback for the
teacher. They can then know which techniques worked for their students and
which were total disasters. Discussions are hard to do, but they offer such
valuable teaching opportunities, as well as learning how to communicate in the
real world. Usually things that are hard to do offer up the greatest
reward.
I don’t completely agree with all of Mr.
Brookfield’s strategies, probably because I am still learning how to speak
comfortably in an educational setting. The exercise that involves questioning
to keep the discussion going, makes me nervous. When I put myself out there to
answer a question, I only want to answer the question, I don’t want to be put
on the chopping block with open-ended questions. Usually by the end of the
quarter I am comfortable and confident enough to be able to answer further
questioning on the spot, but not in the beginning. I know how hard it is to be
on the stage in the classroom, I know that not everyone was born a speaker.
However, the many strategies that Mr. Brookfield offers up are essential.
“Without hard work, nothing grows except
weeds.” Gordon B. Hinckley
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