A statement on classroom discussion

The principle mode of instruction in our daily meetings will be discussion. In conversation we will explore texts and their meanings, strengthen our ability to interpret documents, tighten up our ability to present ideas clearly, and press upon the surface of ideas and interpretations to penetrate the “easy beauty” of a quick answer. This is no idle chitchat, it is rather a corporate enterprise: a body of scholars, coming together around the table, in order to develop a rich understanding of the material.

You, then, as a student are at the absolute center of the action. The discussion will be what you make of it, and the life of the class depends on the quality of your preparation for active participation in learning. I place a high degree of responsibility on your shoulders: not only must you prepare well before class begins, but you need to be intellectually adventuresome in the discussion itself. We are not necessarily looking for the perfect idea, fully formed and presented as an intellectual fait accompli, but for ideas that we can work with, refine, develop, perhaps discard -- ideas that open up conversation and lead to further insight rather than putting things in a tidy little airtight box. History is too powerful, too full of multiple meanings, to be boxed. It is a fecund discipline, and you are the ones who must wrestle with the material -- and with the minds of your colleagues and the instructor.

Here are a number of ways you might choose to engage the discussion, some perhaps more valuable than others:

OPEN discussion with a reaction, interpretation, or open-ended question

AFFIRM a previous comment

CHALLENGE a previous comment

ASK for more information (invite your colleague to complete her or his thought)

CITE evidence from the text (the bedrock of informed discussion)

TEST an understanding of the text, or of a previous comment

DEFINE terms

DEVELOP an idea with new material

CLARIFY differences of opinion

SUMMARIZE discussion to that point, perhaps in an effort to focus key issues

INTRODUCE a new line of inquiry

RETURN to “lost” points

SYNTHESIZE seemingly disparate points

CREATE closure

Notice that one of the essential elements in most of these options is to LISTEN to what your classmates have to say -- where they are coming from, how they have understood the text and the other comments. Careful listening is perhaps the most important (and under-developed!) skill required in conversation. You must know what you are responding to before you can respond.

I invite you to consider the different ways in which you engage your classmates, and to expand your repertoire of skills. All of us have different strengths and weaknesses -- some may be hesitant to open discussion but superb at making connections among ideas on the table, others may be very game to toss ideas out, but weaker when it comes to probing those ideas for depth and nuance -- but my expectation is that you will work on those areas that need effort and attention. Push yourself forward if you are reticent. Give it a rest if you are overly loquacious.

Some brief comments on evaluation.

Because discussion is much of the work of this course, I will place value when it comes to grade-time on the quality (not necessarily quantity!) of your class participation. Again, it is not necessary to always come up with the diamond-like ideas, rather it is solid, consistent preparation and willingness to engage your colleagues and instructor that makes the difference.

“A” level participation means that you are in class on time, prepared to discuss the readings assigned. Your contributions to discussion are thoughtful and well informed by the readings and the ideas of your peers and the instructor. You are flexible in discussion, you listen well, and are able to engage the table in a variety of skillful modes (see above). You do not dominate discussion, rather you move it forward in interesting, insightful ways (see notion of fecundity, above).

“B” level participation means that you are in class on time, prepared to discuss the readings assigned. Your contributions to discussion are thoughtful and well considered, but perhaps do not spark the discussion into high gear, or unnecessarily re-hash ideas examined earlier.

“C” level participation means that you are in class on time, prepared to discuss the readings assigned, but you do not say anything. This is a discussion no-no.

“D” level participation means that you are in class on time, prepared to discuss the readings assigned, but you tend to be rather rude or boorish in discussion, cutting other students off, not listening intently to what other students have to say (believing, perhaps, that there is no possible way that they could suggest anything that you hadn’t already thought of?), simply repeating what other students have said, dominating conversation to the exclusion of classmates, and -- convinced of your superior intelligence -- becoming “master of the obvious”.

Notice that my expectation of all students is that they will indeed be in class, on time, and with the readings completed and readied to discuss. Anything less than the minimum level of civility, respect for other members of the class, scholarship, and preparation is simply not acceptable.

I look forward to our work this year!