Discussion as a Way of Teaching
This week's reading was an interesting and enjoyable one. I had never really been in a classroom that was discussion-based until my senior year of high school, and quite honestly it was very nerve-racking for me because it was my first one. Most people in my classroom were comfortable speaking out but some weren't, which is why it was interesting to read about how to make a successful discussion-based classroom. I think if classes focused less of their time on just lectures early on in student's lives, the students would eventually grow out of their shell and become comfortable in future situations that require speaking up. I think this was the problem for me.
I was glad to see there were so many strategies to run a successful discussion because I feel like most of the discussions I have participated in were not planned out very well, which led to nobody talking, awkward silences, and not knowing where to even start. I love how Brookfield addressed the dilemmas teachers usually have when trying to get introverted people to participate without making them feel uncomfortable. I'm an introvert, so I feel like I can relate to this. Although I have become more comfortable in discussion based settings, I was one of those students she refers as "shy and introverted, or uncomfortable because they perceive themselves as members of a minority race, gender or class." As I read this I wondered how I would go about this as a future teacher because the last thing I want is to make my students uncomfortable, so I love her idea of the "'hatful of quotes' exercise," where she takes quotes from a text and puts them in a hat for everyone to draw from.
Her "speech policy" section stood out to me a lot because she addressed a lot of what is relevant to me. When she said "many students from working class backgrounds, female students, or students from underrepresented ethnic groups will approach discussion sessions with a justifiable sense of distrust," I couldn't relate more. I know I will have future students who feel the same way, so making them feel like they have a voice is my number 1 goal.
I was glad to see there were so many strategies to run a successful discussion because I feel like most of the discussions I have participated in were not planned out very well, which led to nobody talking, awkward silences, and not knowing where to even start. I love how Brookfield addressed the dilemmas teachers usually have when trying to get introverted people to participate without making them feel uncomfortable. I'm an introvert, so I feel like I can relate to this. Although I have become more comfortable in discussion based settings, I was one of those students she refers as "shy and introverted, or uncomfortable because they perceive themselves as members of a minority race, gender or class." As I read this I wondered how I would go about this as a future teacher because the last thing I want is to make my students uncomfortable, so I love her idea of the "'hatful of quotes' exercise," where she takes quotes from a text and puts them in a hat for everyone to draw from.
Her "speech policy" section stood out to me a lot because she addressed a lot of what is relevant to me. When she said "many students from working class backgrounds, female students, or students from underrepresented ethnic groups will approach discussion sessions with a justifiable sense of distrust," I couldn't relate more. I know I will have future students who feel the same way, so making them feel like they have a voice is my number 1 goal.
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