Rant the First
Ironically, ever since I did that rant meme, I've come up with real life subjects for ranting--my colleagues, the weather, static electricity, regular electricity, the university, the universe... well, you can see where this is going.
Anyway, se_parsons wanted to know what's wrong with kids today, and specifically, with my students.
( ranting ahead )
Anyway, se_parsons wanted to know what's wrong with kids today, and specifically, with my students.
( ranting ahead )
I think it takes a while to get students comfortable with expressing themselves in the classroom--you can't just tell them to do it and expect that to work. For instance, the class I just taught is a group that's been together since September, and they're finally getting to the point where the majority will voice opinions. They're mostly first-year students, and don't quite know what they're supposed to be doing.
The thing about class participation, though, is that it isn't just thinking on your feet--it's also about how you prepare. I encourage students to write their questions down as they do the reading, and to bring those in to class. Even, "what does this mean?" or "why does [the author] say this?" because if one student doesn't understand or can't follow the argument, the chances are that he or she isn't alone. And that can give you a head start in class discussions, because you've already identified an issue or two that you want to know more about, or that you have something to say about. It also has to be clear that, "I don't agree, but I can't quite figure out why," is a reasonable statement, because that's my cue to leap in and say, "well, what about what [X] writes on page 233..." and hope that you can pick up the evidence there.
Reply
Leave a comment