I posted the topic “the current use of former plantations” on the board for students to think about and then engage in a full-class discussion. The students immediately started debating about whether or not former plantations should be used for weddings. After several minutes of healthy debate, I noticed that students were no longer raising their hands in the discussion, and several smaller groups of students were debating quietly with one another instead of sharing their thoughts with the whole class. This continued as one student was sharing her thoughts with the class. While I was excited that plenty of discussion was generated over this topic, I wanted the side debates to be shared with the entire class. I wanted the student who was speaking to share all of her thoughts, but I worried that addressing the students who were having side debates would end the conversation entirely.
-
Jared
10th Grade
African American 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 __________."
- When considering your in-the-moment options as a discussion facilitator, how do you direct students’ attention to a particular classmate, when this move might deflate the energy stemming from productive, one-on-one conversations?