Discussion as a Means of Teaching

Discussion as a Means of Teaching

“I went to sleep away camp so long ago that it was the Stone Age.” – Alan Shemper

            One sentence from the opening story in the article sums up how I feel about the use of discussion in the classroom: “In revealing and celebrating the multiplicity of perspectives possible, discussion at its best exemplifies the democratic process.” By breaking down this sentence and examining each piece separately, one would be able to see the benefits and pitfalls of using discussion in the classroom.

“In revealing and celebrating the multiplicity of perspectives possible…”

            The first thing that should be noted is that discussion has a way of revealing a plethora of differing opinions, viewpoints, and understanding of whatever is being discussed. This is important for several reasons to an educator. First, a perfect educator and person would be able to see and understand all viewpoints before beginning a discussion; the problem is that no one is perfect. Even as a great teacher, it is unlikely that one person will be able to preemptively think of any possible understanding or viewpoint that could be presented. Secondly, the revealing of so many different ideas needs to be important to an educator because seeing the differing viewpoints that students have allows the teacher to understand how or why a topic of discussion is relevant to them. I feel that one of the biggest hurdles in education is making the information relevant to students, information and content alone means nothing. Students are far more likely to learn when the information is made relevant, and seeing their viewpoints can help teachers understand what information is relevant and why. In addition to seeing and understanding these newfound viewpoints a teacher must also take the time to celebrate them. The celebration of these viewpoints that have been suggested at great personal risk is important to build confidence among students, encourage critical thinking among students, and promote tolerance among students. None of these skills or ideas will be found in a list of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, but responsibility as an educator goes further than that.

“…discussion at its best exemplifies the democratic process.”

            Democracy is seen as the ideal form of government, not because it makes everyone happy all the time, but because it gives everyone a chance to participate. Discussion and classrooms both work the same way, when everyone is given the opportunity to participate and feel like a valued member, good things will happen. Furthermore, teachers are not responsible for only content teaching, but responsible for helping to prepare students for the world that comes after secondary school. By using discussion regularly, students are more likely to be prepared for the societal interactions that come later.