Discussion Based Approach

I have always been a big fan of classroom discussions. Even way back when I was in high school I would get excited when any of my teachers involved us in a class discussion. I always felt like school revolved around the sedentary quiet classroom where the instructor lectured, I took notes, and if I wanted to express myself in any way I did it in a term paper where no one would read it expect for the teacher and me. I guess I felt like discussions were bending the rules of school a little bit. If the whole class was allowed, or encouraged, to talk out a topic I was more present and aware than any other time in that room. Talking to my peers about what we thought of an assignment, right in front of the instructor, I might as well have been flipping my teacher the bird.

Reading this made me think about discussion in ways that I never have before. Making discussion critical – of course! What an excellent term. Having a critical discussion requires all participants to leave a big chunk of ego at the door. If we are to examine assumptions that we have made we must stop thinking of them as “ours” and leave the possessive out of it. When we look at an idea critically we must be as impartial as possible; then it is not about me, you, or him over there, it is all about the idea itself.

Democratic discussion! Hold on here. If a class discussion is democratic in nature then what part is the teacher playing? Again we must leave a certain amount of ego behind in order for this to function. I feel like I am so eager to make my classroom great that I might want to hold onto every discussion with a tight fist and drag all of my students to the conclusion I want them to come to. Some times in these education classes I feel like I am being told to plot out my lesson with blinders to anything else. No getting off topic. You must post those learning goals and make sure every student is aware that they have accomplished every one. Tell them what they will learn, show them the lesson, and then test them to make sure they learned it. I am not convinced that this is the only way to teach.