Discussion in the Classroom

I am really excited about the challenge of conducting a discussion in my first grade classroom. I think it is going to be a challenging task because in my experiences I have not seen very much discussion in the younger grades. Usually I observe or participate in more of a recitation style talk in my classrooms for field placements, which have for the most part been successful and productive. However, I think introducing discussions in these early grades is something that will help prepare them for the grades ahead of them as well as later in life. I think the oral and listening skills acquired through discussions can benefit students in their daily lives outside of a school environment.

In order to conduct this type of discussion in my classroom, the set up and classroom management skills are essential to success. I would first start by explaining to my students that discussions are a different type of talking. Their are some different rules that we need to consider when having a discussion in our classroom. For example, we discussed in class the importance of having discussions feel like a natural conversation between students and teacher. I think this is so important and will help to create a safe environment for students to participate in. I also think that in lower grades discussions should begin small in order to introduce the style of them. For example, talking with a partner or with a small reading group, before entire class discussions take place. This is just a way for students to get comfortable using their oral skills in front of their peers and apply their listening and reflecting skills to their peers comments during discussion without feeling overwhelmed with the whole class. I think I would have my students come up with a list of rules together for discussions. This way, students created their rules and are more likely to remember them and stick to them. In addition, I think the way in which the room is set up can affect the discussion itself. I would position my students so that they could all see each other and in a more casual arrangement so the comfort and ease of the discussion carries over to the physical set up. In class we also discussed the importance of wait time when conducting a discussion. I think this might be the most challenging aspect for me when running a discussion with students because it seems somewhat uncomfortable. However, I think wait time in the younger grades is imperative because it might take some students longer to process information before they speak than others.

I think McGee made an excellent point when explaining that books need to have multiple layers of meaning and quite a bit of depth in order to have a successful discussion where student's ideas and thoughts can be explored and challenged. This is key in my thoughts when planning our discussion lesson and I think discussions can flop without this aspect. Therefore it is important for me to chose a book that incorporates aspects that I feel students will relate to. This requires me to understand my students and their prior knowledge, experiences, and backgrounds. If I do not gage what I might expect students to bring to the discussion, I will not be able to facilitate the discussion as much nor will my students be as engaged in the topic of discussion. That is why I love the statement by Goldenberg claiming that conversation is instructional and instruction is conversational. Personally, that is what I want to strive for in my discussion. The conversation of the discussion and the manner in which it is conducted is essential for instructional learning to occur.

Overall, I want to create discussions in my classroom that cater to the needs of each of my students. As Weinstein & Mignano state, you must find out which strategies work best for your students in order to create a maximum level of active participation. For me, this begins with knowing your students, understanding how they learn, and creating a safe environment for a discussion to occur. When these elements are included, I believe a IRRR can run successfully and deep levels of thinking will develop.