While facilitating a discussion about the Boston Massacre I noticed my students were not building off each other or using sources. They were answering my central question, but their answers lacked depth and they were not engaging with one another. I was upset because I really wanted my students to utilize the historical analytical skills we learned earlier in the week, and to speak with each other. Personally, I think the social aspect of discussions is a major strength of the classroom practice. But, if my students wait their turn to speak with me rather than engaging with each other, I have failed them and my goal. I did not know what I should do to encourage them to talk to each other and use the discussion sources. I was overwhelmed by these overlapping and sometimes conflicting goals.
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Josh
8th Grade
US History
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 __________."
- Considering your role as discussion facilitator, how do you navigate the tension between pressing students to use academic sources when doing so risks foreclosing on student-to-student talk?