We were discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Athenian democracy, and students began to share connections they made between Athens and current events, US History, and our current state of democracy. As we were wrapping up the discussion, I asked if anyone had any additional modern day connections that had not yet been shared. Two students shared really interesting thoughts, but because it was the end of the discussion, I could tell the class was starting to lose steam. I was hoping that they would be more engaged with the chance to incorporate their own lived experiences into what they were learning in the classroom, and I wasn’t sure how to reignite their attention and enthusiasm to share their stories.
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Maria
9th Grade
Ancient and Medieval Civilizations
Preservice Teaching Year
- 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 __________."
- Thinking about your own classroom, how do you reignite the energy of a discussion when you sense students are losing interest in the topic?