DISCUSSION AS A WAY OF TEACHING

I think one of my biggest fears as becoming a teacher would be getting my students involved. I think we all know that we will have students that won't want to participate in group discussions. I love the example the reading gave about The Circle of Voices because it gives each student the choice to have an opinion and a voice. When one person is talking, the other students are not suppose to be talking. I love this because each student gets a chance to take a stand. What I also liked about this reading is the chapter on Class Participation. It explains that a class discussion is not to prove how much you may know about a topic, but to get the comments flowing throughout the class. The reading gives examples on how you can keep the discussion going. For example, it explains that as a teacher if you ask another student a question about what the past student said it can keep the discussion going. As a teacher your body language should also show your excitement towards the topic. Getting my students engaged in my classroom is my number one goal. I don't ever want my students to feel like they can't share their opinions in my classroom. When class discussions go on in the classroom I get a sense that this is when the students learn the most. They can not only learn from me as the teacher, but also from their other classmates. My students will know from the get go that my classroom is a judgment free zone.  I love how this reading gave such good examples on ways your students will get involved. This may be a big challenge for the teacher, but if you constantly are working at getting students involved in your classroom, I think you will be okay. I hope to strive to generate thinking in my classroom so they are constantly learning throughout the day.