I had never really read the book. I mean, I have read it, but on my own over a summer when my brain wasn't in the mood to digest. (Boy...I missed out.) Therefore, I felt uncomfortable asking questions or offering responses. I thought I would have been better at kind of faking it, but apparently not.
I had never done a Socratic Seminar. I didn't really know what my role was as question-asker or responder. I thought of some really cool things to say but I had to remind myself that this discussion wasn't for me to participate in...it was for them. I knew this stuff now and I could draw these conclusions. The trouble was that I just wanted to tell them my newfound insights but that was totally off from the purpose of the exercise. Also, I just really loved the opportunity to observe.
I constantly wanted to change the subject or ask a new question because I felt like they were getting really off-track from what we intended for them to pick up on. P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E is a virtue. I noticed that you didn't quickly jump in and intervene; you allowed the discussion to continue to develop. Eventually they circled back around and even picked up some new insights i had never thought of before. This is a good lesson for me. Just when I thought they might not be quite capable enough to get at the big idea or whatever, the say something completely intriguing while arriving with perfect timing to that big idea. They are smart. And my purpose isn't just to relay information for them to regurgitate to me later on, it is to get them to think critically about literature and the world around them. I was so proud of them by the end.
I could obviously have done some things differently. And I could probably go on. But I wanted to take a moment to comment on some neat things I noticed during the discussion. Most everyone was engaged. In my classroom assessment class, my teacher says that discussion is great, but too many kids are too nervous. These kids are typically the second language learners or the kids with disabilities. Funny, I have consistently found the opposite to be true (maybe it is the room arrangement...) The kids that didn't speak up mostly weren't paying attention by choice. Wendell had something to say when his attention was refocused back to the group. And Nik consistently spoke up. I don't know that I have ever been in a class where everyone is so consistently engaged with the conversation. Also, just because a student is looking down or around the room doesn't mean he or she isn't listening and thinking hard about the comments being said. I was often surprised at the times some kids spoke up when I was convinced their minds were elsewhere. I think when it comes to classroom management, that is important to keep in mind. Overall, I am just really thankful for this exercise. I feel as if I have learned so much more than just the process of a Socratic Seminar (though that alone would have left me feeling blessed.)
Do not feel disappointed about today. I think this served as a great lesson in the importance of content knowledge. Because you did not have the content knowledge of Catcher, you realized the difficulty you would have in leading students through a process of inquiry. When I first started teaching, I assumed class discussions would be a very simple task for a teacher; just sit back, practice wait time, and every once and awhile build off a student’s response with a follow-up question. I quickly learned that my vision was far from the reality. An effective discussion depends on a number of different variables. I always spend time re-reading the material that I want to cover, formulating multiple levels of questioning, and developing a ‘game plan’ of where I want students to be by the end of the discussion. During the discussion, the facilitator must adhere to additional factors, including, motivation, management, and listening skills. It’s a challenge to keep everyone engaged and interested in the material, as it is difficult to keep some students from dominating the talk; however, with a great topic and room for multiple perspectives, discussions can be one of the most effective forms of assessment.
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to see you observe a pretty good discussion today; however, I’d be lying if I said it always went that way. So many factors get in the way of a discussion. This is where flexibility goes a long way. Being cognizant of your learning goals and being able to move to a new assessment if needed are very important for teachers. For example, if I felt the students were left missing a big point after today, I may require them to complete a writing activity on the particular question.
You are an inquiry-based teacher in the making and I love this! You have picked up on the value of this type of instruction so early…now I encourage you to keep reflecting and identifying approaches you want to experiment with in your lesson. I’m looking forward to your lesson; teaching a short story you know well and like will give you a boost of confidence when instructing the students. Use your observations and insight of the students to drive the instructional strategies you want to use. I’ll help you along the way!