Planning Engaging Discussions
While planning my lesson to introduce students to ancient governments, I felt that having a broad introductory discussion question like “What makes a good leader?” would provide a low barrier to entry, since students wouldn't need to know anything about the topic to participate. I wasn’t sure if this was the best question to ask. Was it too unspecific? Irrelevant to the historical context? As a novice teacher, I struggle when I’m planning to craft questions that are accessible and invite students to participate. I want the students to be engaged, but I also want the questions to be relevant and fruitful in guiding us towards the discussion topic.
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Maria
9th Grade
Ancient and Medieval Civilizations
First Year Teaching
- 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 __________."
- When you have planned discussions, how do you formulate questions that are accessible to students but are also aligned with your goals and are academically rigorous?