Open Forum Discussions

Within the first week of school I make sure to address how we have conversations in my classroom with my students.  I tell them that many times in their past experience, when the teacher asks a question everyone is so focused on formulating an answer, raising their hand, and sharing that answer that they do not pay attention to the answers offered by their classmates.  To demonstrate I draw a large circle on the board and say, "this is our classroom." Then I draw random dots all around that circle and say, "and that's what it looks like when we all talk, sharing random ideas because we want to get credit for speaking but the problem is that this does not create a conversation."  I erase the circle and then I draw a staircase.  And I explain to my students that this is the goal for our classroom discussions: each idea we share builds upon the idea of the person before.  You can choose to agree with someone, disagree with them, elaborate on their point, add text evidence to back up their point but no matter what we are doing, when we start tying together the comments we make in class, we are creating a conversation.  

The Circle

My first classroom was comprised of individual desks in rows.  With thirty or more students crowding into the classroom there was little space for anything but sitting in rows.  It seemed too traditional for the classroom environment I wanted to create.  Rows of desks did not allow me to facilitate active and engaged discussions where students were not just talking to me but were engaging in conversation with each other.   Needless to say, it did not take long for me to restructure the classroom entirely.  I settled on a half circle at first for a few years with me being the center but the problem was that it still focused student attention on myself so that their focus was still the teacher feeding them questions, information, answers.  Instead, I wanted students to rely on each other to build their knowledge with the assistance of primary sources.  Finally, I moved the tables in my classroom into a circle.  My place in the classroom was a seat within the circle with my students.  

I'm an advocate for flexible seating in the classroom and I'm happy with my decision to move our tables into a circle.  The focus of each class is conversation with the use of primary sources.  Students have equal access to the whiteboards on two sides of our classroom that they can use to chart or brainstorm during discussions.   As students adjust to this model, they learn to rely on each other, they use accountable talk stems to develop their language skill and they become the center of the learning experience.  

Read about our creation of a classroom contract

Student Led Discussions

The students are in charge of the conversation that happens in the classroom.  My role as the teacher is the facilitator of educational experiences.  I've built the environment, asked the questions, and provided the material that would help guide students to the goals outlined in the course.  But the day-to-day classroom experience is about empowering students to guide their own learning which in essence teaches them how to learn.  

In my classroom students share and then courteously choose the next person to speak.  They learn to have well-mannered discussions that allow everyone to speak.  They use the accountable talk stems that are always in the front of their books in order to employ academic language within this practice.  To be honest, the level to which I allowed students to have autonomy over their conversations this past year was an experiment and even I was astounded by the results.  By the end of the school year, the students needed me only to establish the topic of the day and guide the timeline of the course but they carried the conversation.  They impressed me.  More importantly  they showed me that when we set the bars of excellence for our students, they can reach them.  When we empower them to take ownership of their learning they often do.  I also have to say that I was blessed with a group of students that were naturally courteous, understanding and showed a genuine desire to learn.  I know that that will not be the case with all the classes that I teach.  Therefore, it is imperative to employ tools to gently facilitate these behaviors.  For me, one of those tools is Class Dojo. 

Respecting the Stories

In my classroom we study history by telling the stories of the individuals who came before us.  Whenever possible that means that we read primary source documents like diaries, speeches, oral histories, videos and for each story we encounter I task the students with respecting the story.  In my classroom we question what it means to be responsible for someone's story and legacy?  What does it mean for our behavior, reflection and conversation.  When stories are respected, it also creates a brave space for students to begin to share their own stories with classmates.  The experience, essentially, is transformative. 

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Thinking about the Future: 

Moving forward, I am intrigued to study the Harkness method developed at Exeter Academy.  Essentially, Harkness is a method of whole-class discussion that ​gathers students around a large wooden (or other material) table with the purpose of facilitating discussions around literature, historical information, and the essential questions.  The ideal Harkness classroom would move from teacher structured lessons where I'm the one selecting the questions raised to students being the managers of their own discussions.  The reason that I am inspired to learn more and eventually use the Harkness method in my classroom is because I believe it is the ultimate synthesis of the three styles listed above.  My summer professional dream is to be trained by the educators at Exeter at their Summer Humanities Workshop.  

I am excited to continue to study this method and to eventually transition my history courses to reflect this classroom method.  As educators we are also always learners, looking for ways to build and expand our pedagogical tools.