At this point in any year, I begin to get tired with the mechanisms I typically use to get discussion going in my US History classes. So I was particularly happy to stumble across this list of tips on leading discussion in the college classroom. Turns out my favorite professor at Vassar re-reads this article before beginning every semester... there are some great ideas here:http://www.indiana.edu/~tchsotl/part%201/part1%20materials/The_Dreaded_Discussion.pdf
Jason, Thanks for posting this! I really wanted a cross-discipline visit to help me improve the flow of my class discussions, but the logistics were impossible at the time. It's helpful to see my same issues in writing and find a more purposeful approach to possible solutions.It seems like I do some of many of those "schemes," but I don't get them quite right. His concrete examples are terrific.
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ReplyDeleteI love this post and I have actually read this before!
Starting discussion is my favorite part of teaching. I usually hold out some of my favorite strategies for mid-year. You are correct to remind us that this is the time of the year that we run the risk of falling into patterns of monotony in our prep and execution...
Carolyn
Thanks Jason, super-handy.
ReplyDeleteYes. Great article.
ReplyDeleteI'd add to the list one of my faves: written discussion as a warm-up for oral discussion. Can be as guided and specific as you like, but I enjoy (and I know that my quieter students have liked) writing and passing. Gets ideas flowing and also allows them to appreciate/celebrate one another's ideas.
Thanks. A great article to get me geared up for the spring.
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