At this moment, we were discussing a famous quote from Machiavelli: “since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.” After I wrote the prompt on the board, a few students shared their thoughts about why fear is safer. To add an additional perspective, I shared my own thoughts, which is that it is safer to be loved. I think it’s really important that teachers engage with their students in discussions, rather than sitting back. A big goal when I facilitate discussions is my students seeing me as a part of the discussion– not some weird teacher who just prods them to share their thoughts. But I felt like this totally backfired. After I shared my opinion, one student said, “ok, I see your point.” Another nodded, and nobody else wanted to participate. I wanted to share my opinion to add more complexity to the conversation. At the same time, I worried that doing so had shut the conversation down.
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Keith
9th Grade
World History
Preservice Teaching Year
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
- Thinking about your own classroom, how do you decide if you should share your personal viewpoint on the topic being discussed, when doing so might shut down student dialogue?
- As you navigate similar dilemmas, what are your goals, beliefs, self-perceptions and possible actions?
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