Using class discussions can help engage students in their lessons.
Lectures can bore students and leave them zoning out during a lesson. Having a variety of approaches and teaching methods under your belt will keep students engaged and interested in their learning. One great teaching tool is the class discussion. It allows students to think about a subject themselves and teach each other, rather than the teacher just spewing out information. Discussions not only help teach students; they allow them to be teachers, as well. They learn learn rather than just learning about the subject at hand. Discussions can also be an eye-opener for the teacher, as different students will bring different perspectives on a subject. Leading a discussion requires the teacher to let go a bit, which can be scary as teachers often feel the need to maintain constant control---but there are ways to maintain control without turning a discussion into a lecture.
Instructions
Before the Discussion
1. Do an icebreaker with the class. Let everyone get to know each other before beginning class discussions. Encourage students to learn each other's names and about each other. Students will be more comfortable participating in a discussion if they are comfortable with the people they're speaking with.
2. Arrange desks so that everyone can be heard clearly, and in a way that is inviting to the students. If possible, a circle or semicircle works well for conversations, or arrange desks in groups of four to six. When students face each other, it is more encouraging to speakers rather than having students sit in rows staring at the backs of each other's heads.
3. Speak with the class about the purpose of class discussion. Ask students what they can gain from participating in class discussions, what they believe is appropriate during a discussion, and about what is polite and what is rude during discussion time. Also discuss any system you have in place, such as if students are awarded points for participation in the discussion, or if the students are expected to raise their hand and be called upon before giving their input. Having students think about this beforehand will prevent trouble later.
4. Do a warm-up before each discussion. Get the students' minds going before beginning the discussion. This can be an icebreaker game. If students are already familiar with each other, games or activities that review past content work well and keep students thinking about past material. The warm-up doesn't need to be more than five minutes long and it can be as simple as talking about everyone's weekend.
5. Prepare a list of conversation questions that are relevant to the lesson material ahead of time. It is always a good idea to prepare more questions than you think you have time for. Use these questions to keep the conversation on track and to fill in silent gaps. Plan where you expect the conversation to go---it won't go according to plan, but the more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel.
During the Discussion
6. Announce the topic subject and ask the opening question for discussion. Make sure the topic is clear and specific. Allow students to express ideas. As the leader, act as the mediator, who keeps the discussion moving forward by presenting new questions that pertain to the given topic.
7. Call upon a variety of people to make sure different perspectives of a topic are heard before moving on to another question. You can do this by randomly drawing out name cards, or call on people in a pattern such as, girl, boy, girl, boy, etc.
8. Make sure people are being heard in an organized manner, but don't jump in with too many comments or the discussion will turn into a lecture. Jump in when a comment is inappropriate, a student isn't speaking enough, a student is speaking too much or if the conversation is going too far off track.
9. Use your intuition. When a particular question is sparking good conversation, let it roll on, even if it means you won't have time to get to the rest of the questions. If a conversation question is going downhill or beginning a big argument instead of a discussion, move on before it gets out of hand or before the discussion dies out.
10. Paraphrase only when you feel it is necessary. If a student explains something in a confusing manner, it's okay to paraphrase in a way that helps others to understand the comment. Don't repeat everything the students are saying---make the students have to listen to each other rather than to the teacher recapping everything.
After the Discussion
11. Consolidate at the end. Before time is up, have students summarize the discussion and the different points of view that were brought forth during the discussion.
12. Bring the conversation into perspective of the big picture---ask how the conversation was relevant to what the students were studying and how what they learned could be used in the future. Meta-cognition aids student learning.
13. Ask students to reflect on what made the discussion a good one. Ask what types of comments were the most insightful and what it was that made the comment a good one. This will help students to see where they can improve on their own participation in the future.
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