I have never been a person to appreciate or endorse silence. Whether eating dinner, while in the car, or more recently in the classroom, I find silence uncomfortable. There is a certain wave of nervousness I feel wash over my body when I'm subjected to more than perhaps 3 seconds of silence in almost any setting. As I've been shadowing my mentor's class, this has been a harsh aspect to accept. I have found that this tool is very useful during the lecture classes when taking a "power pause" in your speech so as to give the students' brains a moment to digest the information. But what of the students' silence? It is difficult to force students to speak, and the teacher almost always must take the initiative to continue the discussion. Strategies such as volunteering a student, simply restating the question, or rephrasing the questions in a more assisting fashion are common, but may not bring about the wanted results.
While some classrooms are lucky enough to have one or more students who are not afraid of discussing their ideas, how do we as instructors create an environment where all students feel comfortable enough to voice their opinions without fear of judgement? Though a simple statement of "Don't be afraid to speak up in here" could be an option, this problem will not be put to rest so simply. As is with almost any classroom, there is an ebb and flow of the students' willingness to participate wholeheartedly in class discussions. For the times when silence seems more drawn out and the students are less active in voicing their opinions, what should be done? Should the instructor take on the responsibility of pushing the discussion along, or should we allow the students to remain silent until one of the brave souls speaks up?
When there is a total lack of input from students I generally find that one of two things is happening: the students feel uncomfortable stating their thoughts to the entire class or the students don't understand the topic. The first possibility, I find, is very easy to fix. This is generally when I break the class up into small groups to discuss their thoughts about a topic to a smaller, less overwhelming or intimidating group. This is the format where I see shy students break out of their shells most. As an instructor I like walking around to each group to see what aspect of a topic interests each group the most. After group work, I always bring the class back into the larger group to discuss the different aspects that were focused on individually. If the students simply don't grasp the concept, the instructor must use different examples or terms when teaching, assign further reading, and discuss it more in class. If neither of these things help because your class seems to be set on having you do all of the talking, I remind them that participation is a decent percent of their overall grade. After I make that observation people generally open up and provide valuable, unique observations.
ReplyDeleteSome how I also have a tendency which I always nervous in silence so that I try to break it by myself. I agree silence in the class means something. I think some of 103 classes are in similar situation during this week. For the second point you mentioned, my mentor plan to have a quiz.
DeleteIn order to know which points students are having trouble to understand, a quiz is one of the tool.
We will see......
I tend to value silence because it offers time to think; the key, I think is using it purposefully at times and letting it be what it is. When students are hesitant to speak up, I think they are scared of what others think, and one thing the teacher can do is model active listening and nonjudgmental/even non-evaluative comments in response so students don't get in the habit of thinking there's got to be a right answer and what if they aren't "on point." It's the students' decision whether they are going to speak and when, but the teacher can foster an overall environment where there's a wide range of things people can contribute.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the teacher can foster an environment of openmindedness, even in subtle ways. I understand the frustration of inactive students as a fellow student better than I know it from a teacher's perspective. As a vocal student, I am often bothered when students do not even make an attempt to participate in speaking or active listening. I know professors of mine in the past have made it a point, especially in small classes, to specifically ask a student his/her take on something. I know there are pros and cons to this approach, but I have noticed when my mentor enlists this tactic in 103, she receives feedback 85% of the time. I think there can be benefits to silence, but I also know from experience that silence in a classroom can be a bullying technique used by students who do not wish to participate. They are sometimes afraid of "being wrong" because they are used to giving cookie cutter responses, but now that they are in college, I believe it is our duty as teachers to make them appreciate class discussion. It starts with building a safe space and initiating thought provoking open-ended questions/comments.
ReplyDeleteAssuming students have read and understood the material/direction of the discussion, I think it's a matter of the students being comfortable in the class. Personally, I'm pretty decidedly an introvert. I don't volunteer information or comments unless A) my grade requires it, B) I'm totally comfortable with everyone in the room and I'm sure I won't feel stupid even if I make a stupid remark, or C) all of the above.
ReplyDeleteTo remedy this situation for introverts in particular, you might want to implement "get to know each other" activities in class that also, if possible, build toward the class content. Another thing you can do is use small groups A LOT. And vary the groups. That way, students get to know a variety of people, and the pressure is lower in a group of 3 or 4 than in a group of 25, so those students who are afraid of talking will feel more comfortable speaking up.
My mentor does this really well. Our students work in small groups in almost every period, particularly during the beginning of the semester when everyone needs to get to know each other. At this point, I think everyone has worked with everyone else at least once. This is helping students become more comfortable, even in the large group setting. If you read my latest blog post, you'll see what I mean. Our class has amazing large group discussions, particularly for a 9am FYC course! I think a lot of that has to do with the way my mentor makes getting to know everyone a priority for the students.
I have a tendency to jump in and fill the silence in the classroom. I think that may be because I'm standing up at the front of the class by myself with a bunch of people staring at me. What seems like minutes to me has probably only been seconds. Sometimes students just need a minute to think of how to phrase their answer. I had a professor who said to always take something to drink with you to class. Then, whenever you get the impulse to break the silence take a drink instead. Most students don't like silence, so someone usually jumps in.
ReplyDeleteSilence and our reaction to it is very much socially constructed. In our culture, you're absolutely right, we tend to be uncomfortable with silence during conversation--hence the term, "that awkward silence." This need for constant dialogue can both hurt and help us in the classroom. It can hurt us when teachers don't allow enough "wait time" (yes, this is a real, and really effective, thing) after asking a question for students to respond to. We feel the need to rephrase the question, answer the question ourself, call on a student before they've had enough time to think, or change up the instructional format too hastily. Sometimes these tactics are beneficial, but sometimes all we need to do is wait. Wait through the awkwardness. Because inevitably, and this is how the phenomenon helps us, one or more students will feel uncomfortable enough to jump in and get the discussion going again.
ReplyDeleteCarrie, silence makes me nervous, too, which is weird because I love silence when I'm home or sleeping or reading. But as a teacher, I can see how it would be nerve-wrecking to hear nothing from students. I think it's because we internalize the silence, as if somehow is a reflection of our teaching ability or perhaps a reflection of how students feel about us as teachers.
ReplyDeleteBut, I agree with everyone who has responded that silence is usually a good thing because it gives them enough time to think while also making them feel the responsibility to get the discussion going.