Disjointed Comments

I was really excited for this discussion! I asked my 10th grade African American History students to imagine themselves as school representatives during a Reconstruction convention to determine if they should immediately integrate schools. Several students made great points and I was feeling good. But then the next few comments felt disjointed. The students stopped building off each other. The discussion quickly dissolved into a conversation between each student and me. I did not ask them to tell me their opinions. On the contrary, as part of the “simulation,” I wanted them to talk to each other. I imposed a new rule to resolve this issue: when you talk, you need to start by saying if you agree or disagree with the person before you. But that did not work. They stated if they agreed or disagreed, but then went on to make a disparate point. I was growing anxious that the discussion was falling apart and the “simulation” was a failure. I felt responsible as their teacher to keep the discussion going, but I did not want to intervene. I wanted them to talk to each other, as “school representatives.” I wanted their voices to carry the discussion, not mine.