I’m sure we have all experienced class discussions that felt great. Everyone was prepared, on point, and left at the end of the class with more information, or a better understanding of the topic than they came in with. I’m also sure that we’ve all experienced the opposite: there were too many tangents, some comments were off topic, people were rude to one another, and everyone left feeling deflated, bored, frustrated, or angry. But, what makes for a good class discussion?
Take a few minutes to watch the following video where an AP high school teacher discusses the elements of a student centered discussion in her class. As you’re watching, jot down what you think these students did well, what you would have changed about the discussion format, and the elements of this discussion that you would like to see reproduced in our class this semester.
Video: https://youtu.be/N99Mg5LfFfM