Discussion in A Democrratic Society

     I really enjoyed reading this chapter. At first I thought it was going to be full of obvious common sense knowledge, and in a way, this chapter was. However, remembering that I am working with 7th graders who still need lots of personal and academic development, this chapter is awesome. My favorite part, which I will certainly be using in my classrooms, is the section about defining differences between conversations, discussions, and dialogues. I have never heard of this concept, but I can see how it would be effective in trying to help primary school students distinguish the difference between just talking with their peers and having an engaged discussion. I know that my students need clearly defined guidelines to accomplish any assignment or task, so of course they need clear guidelines in order to understand how to participate in whole class discussions, which are complex tasks even if students spend most of the time just sitting and listening. Defining these types of verbal communication is so simple, and yet it is a small revelation for me as I begin to establish myself as a teacher. This reading is a good example of how setting standards and guidelines for any and all tasks in the classroom is vital.
     I also enjoyed reading about how teachers are becoming more accustomed to using small groups within the class to help encourage students to speak. I was most certainly the quiet student who understood the material, but absolutely refused to be the only student speaking. It may be a common fear, but having 30 pairs of eyes staring intently and judging is hard to overcome. I appreciate that teachers realize more and more that forcing students to speak in front of everyone will not build that student's confidence. Currently in my class when I lead whole class discussions or and having students share, I never make anyone speak. If a student is not comfortable, I'm not going to be the teacher that tells them to suck it up and deal with being uncomfortable. Just like in the reading, I wholeheartedly believe that part of my job is going to be to create an environment where my students learn to be comfortable to share their thoughts or opinions. In time, if I am able to foster the proper environment, students will be willing to share and discuss on their own terms.