Discussions as a Way of Teaching -- Blog 1

Concerning “Discussions as a Way of Teaching” by Stephen Brookfield, I had not previously considered the necessity of establishing ground rules for a discussion. I had thought that the most effective way to have a discussion is to have a free-for-all, and just let students discuss to their heart's desire, but making sure that everyone has an opportunity to speaking is undoubtedly necessary to facilitating a decent conversation between students. Speaking of rules in classrooms, I think that it is important to include students in the process of making the rules. That way, they will be more likely to follow said rules. As such, the first time that there is a group discussion, I will need to consider this and prepare for the extended amount of time to make rules.


I previously had not considered the sheer number of roles in a discussion, much less the necessity of the teacher to model them. In my experiences, the teacher or professor operates primarily as a Problem, Dilemma, or Theme Poser. However, now that I am more familiar with the roles, I will be on the lookout for them throughout my upcoming discussions on my classes. Modeling the different roles in my classroom will be a struggle for me given that I primarily act as a Devil’s Advocate, keeping the group from agreeing too much by presenting another idea or questioning the validity of a previously suggested idea. However, it is fairly easy to see how these roles can overlap. For instance, the Devil’s Advocate can invoke their inner Textual Focuser in order to break down the false connections between text(s) and/or ideas. The Active Listener can channel their inner Appreciator before restating and adding onto another’s ideas. As I study English Ed more, I will be more aware of these roles and will actively work to emulate them as often as possible. 

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