I think discussions are a wonderful classroom practice to build community. Students must engage interpersonally and use their voice. But, I know this is a glamorized view of discussions. The reality is that the same six students speak, while the rest of the class remains silent. I really want to diversify student voice and encourage more students to participate, especially in my 8th grade U.S. History course.
During a whole-classroom discussion I wanted to get more students to engage, but I did not know how. It felt like a futile task to get my shyer students to participate. I tried different techniques like a think-pair-share, class-wide vote, and designated time to prepare talking points ahead of the discussion. But nothing worked! I could not get the shy students to speak and the same voices dominated the class, like always. I was frustrated that I could not get more participation from my students.
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Josh
8th Grade
US History
First Year Teaching
Unpack This Teacher’s Dilemma
- What is the teacher's dilemma? Consider the teacher's goals, possible actions, beliefs about the situation and the students, and their own self-perceptions.
- Complete or modify the following sentence in a way that captures the teacher's central tension in the situation: "While on the one hand, the teacher believed/wanted/felt/did , on the other hand, they believed/wanted/felt/did ."
Unpack Your Own Dilemma
- Reflecting on participation patterns in your own classroom, how do you decide when your attempts at including quieter students in the discussion are creating a more equitable space for student voice versus reinforcing the familiar patterns?
- As you navigate similar dilemmas, what are your goals, beliefs, self-perceptions and the possible actions you can take?