Leading a discussion in class can help your students interact with each other and then get interesting ideas about the topic being discussed. However, if you are the one leading the discussion, you may feel nervous because you have to keep the conversation going and keep all students interested. If one day you need to lead a class session of yours at school or college, or if you're interested in finding out other ways of learning, then you can learn to lead an interesting discussion and spark new ideas. All you need is hard work and effort.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Starting the Discussion
Step 1. Ask questions that spark a productive discussion
A good question is one that is neither too broad nor too narrow. Questions "yes or no" will kill the discussion, while questions that are too broad like "what do you think about people who decide to get married" will make students lazy to discuss them. A good question is one that is open enough to several possible answers, but is specific enough and lets the person know what approach he or she should take to discussing it, and then be willing to discuss it.
- If you're discussing Romeo and Juliet, you might start by asking, "In what ways did the Friar go wrong giving Romeo advice? In what way did he succeed?" This question will lead students in a productive direction without giving them an answer.
- Asking students to prepare some discussion questions before class starts can also allow them to make a meaningful contribution to your discussion.
Step 2. Make sure you are ready
As a discussion leader, you have to come up with some big questions. Be prepared to throw in the next question if discussion of one previous question is over or dead and students need more topics to cover. The more prepared you are before going to class and starting a discussion, the more confident you will appear. If you appear confident in your ideas, your students will respect you more and be willing to work with you.
- You could give students a sheet of questions to discuss in class, or write them on the board. Some students are more likely to learn and be more engaged if the questions they have to answer appear up front. In addition, this can also be a help if one day you need.
- In a two-hour discussion, you just need to prepare two to five questions. You can also prepare two or three side questions for each main question. However, you should prepare 1.5 times more material than you will cover, just in case students in your class are reluctant to discuss what you want to cover or the questions you ask don't lead to the discussion you want.
Step 3. Provide clear guidelines for participation
If you want to start a discussion right away, you should tell students what you expect from this discussion. If you want students to speak freely without having to raise their hands first, say so. If you want students to raise their hands before speaking, say so. If there's anything else they need to know and understand, such as how to address other students respectfully, how to avoid biased opinions, or terms and words that shouldn't be used, explain them all before you start the discussion so you can better control the discussion..
If you have handouts with do's and don'ts, distribute them so students can follow them
Step 4. Provide reference material that everyone can share and read
It is important that you and your students have something discussed before the discussion begins. This could be a reading assignment for the topic of the day, a news story or poem you brought to class, a short video, or a piece of art. You and your students should have something that everyone in the class has already learned, so your discussions can run smoothly, and you can concentrate on the details you want to highlight and not have to explain the basics which is a waste of time.
State your expectations and expectations of students' readiness clearly. If you don't ask other students to do their homework or punish those who don't do the assigned work, then they won't come to class with new ideas or ideas
Step 5. Maintain enthusiasm for the topic you are discussing
One way to make sure your discussion goes well is to show your enthusiasm for the topic you're discussing from the start. If you engage body language, are ready and excited, and show how important this topic is to you and your students, they will be interested too. But if you seem tired, apathetic, or want to end this discussion as soon as possible, they won't care either.
- Even if your topic seems casual, don't say "this topic might not be that interesting". Instead, try to say and show that this topic is worth discussing. That way other students will also think so.
- Sometimes, showing that a material or idea has a direct application in the real world can make students care about the material. If, for example, you are going to discuss a historical event, start with a news article about an event with a similar theme or value. That way can help students to be interested in the material you are going to cover.
Step 6. Introduce and explain important terms
One great way to start a discussion is to introduce and explain some of the important terms that will come up during the discussion, and are certainly useful to know. For example, if you're going to talk about poetry, you could explain similes, metaphors, figures of speech, and other terms related to literature and poetry. If all students have a good understanding of the topic you are going to discuss, they will be more confident to participate in the discussion.
Even if you seem to make things simpler, it's a good idea to make sure that all students have the same level of understanding before starting the discussion. Some students may feel reluctant to admit that they don't understand a thing or two, and it's your job to explain it to them before moving on to the next stage
Step 7. Present yourself well
In order for you to lead a fruitful discussion, you need to be able to present yourself as a professional who is an expert on the topic being discussed. You need to have confident body language, stand up straight, maintain eye contact, and show that you can control the discussion. At the same time, don't act like you're the perfect person and know the answers to all the questions, or your students will be lazy to confront you and participate in the discussion.
- Don't act like you know everything about the topic you're discussing. Show students that you want to learn as much as they do.
- Be enthusiastic about listening to other students' ideas and ideas to help maintain and increase enthusiasm in the discussion.
Part 2 of 3: Maintaining a Useful Discussion
Step 1. Maintain a safe and respectful atmosphere
If you want to invite other students to participate, you must create a conducive situation and environment for it. You must show and state clearly that all ideas from all students must be respected and that each student must not laugh at the idea or the student. Treat students positively and reward them for their contributions, and never make them feel that their ideas are bad, stupid, or wrong.
- If there are students who are rude or mean to other students, address the problem immediately before continuing the discussion. If you don't say anything, it will give the impression that the action is acceptable and can be done by anyone.
- Invite all students to talk, don't make them feel inferior and doubtful. Make them feel excited to join the discussion.
Step 2. Create arguments
Don't just state your opinion without giving reasons and solid evidence. If you're discussing Romeo and Juliet and someone says "Friar shouldn't be giving Romeo advice," ask why he thinks that way, and discuss possible facts or supporting information for his argument. Use the “pros and cons” model. Make an argument, and try to fight that argument. Then conclude, which argument is actually correct or stronger? This will give great results without having to make students feel fed up with answers throughout the discussion.
Help and guide students so they can draw their own conclusions. If the purpose of the discussion is to get them to find the right answer, then you should be able to lead them to that answer
Step 3. Move from the known points to the unknown
A good discussion depends on the ignorance of the participants. If they already know some things, how can you learn anything new? If you feel you have answered one question, try to dig deeper, and look for other questions that you or the discussion participants do not understand, or move on to another discussion. After you and the discussion participants have solved a problem, move on to another, more complicated problem. Use the previous discussion as a reference and dig deeper into the topic.
Treat all the missing points as a fun puzzle that can and will be solved together. Even if you already know the answer, save it and join the students in finding the answer
Step 4. Control personality variations in the classroom
Invite quiet students to express their opinions on the topic discussed, and as politely as possible, try to make students active and talkative to give other students a chance to talk. Make sure all participants in the discussion have the opportunity to speak and be heard. Make sure all students have time to talk, and that no student is talking too much. Make it so that throughout the discussion, students whose personalities intersect can still get along and be at peace.
Get to know the different types of personalities in your class and find out how they can participate in these group discussions. For example, if you have a student who tends to be quiet and digest all the discussion and then speak at the end of the discussion, let him listen to the discussion and only ask him to speak when he is ready
Step 5. Write down all the ideas that come out
One technique for maintaining a productive class discussion is to write down the ideas that students come up with throughout the discussion. This will let students understand what you are explaining and give them something to refer back to. You can also rewrite their ideas in clearer, easier-to-understand sentences to keep the discussion flowing. But if you do this, make sure that you write most of the words as they are and don't make the student who came up with the idea think that you didn't write the idea on the board.
You can even designate a student as a note taker on the board
Step 6. Remember that this discussion focuses on the topic of discussion, not you
When you lead a class discussion, you may feel that if this is not going well, it is because the other students do not like and respect you. This way of thinking is unproductive and will only make you think negatively of yourself and not focus on the topic at hand. If the student doesn't respond well or doesn't seem very interested, remind yourself that this is because the topic could be brought up in another, more interesting way, not because you're bad or incompetent.
Once you stop focusing on yourself, you will be freer to focus and discuss the topic of discussion and make the discussion dynamic
Step 7. Manage your time well
An important aspect of leading a discussion is making sure that you can cover the important points you want to cover. If students take too long on a point that is not really important, then you can steer the discussion back in the right direction. However, if students do get started and are really excited about a discussion about a point that you weren't really going to cover and they learned a lot from the discussion, then you can let them continue the discussion to find a new way of thinking.
- Time management is an important part of leading class discussions. You must be able to maintain the direction of the discussion and avoid discussing minor matters and making your discussion duration.
- Find a way to secretly check the clock. You don't want to be clearly looking at the clock and making your students think all kinds of things.
Step 8. Help students interact with each other
Another way to move your discussion forward is to help students interact with each other, not just you. As long as the discussions between students are respectful and well-meaning, discussions between them can help them get to know each other and facilitate fruitful discussions. If it turns out that their discussion is too aggressive, you can break it up.
- By giving students opportunities to interact with each other, you will make your discussions more dynamic and enjoyable. They may feel more open when talking to each other than to the teacher.
- Make sure you emphasize that they still have to respect each other and focus on the idea, not the person.
Step 9. Take control of the problematic student
One student with a problem can ruin your entire discussion. If there are students in your class who talk casually, interrupt other people who are talking, drop other people's ideas, or disrespect you and other students, you must be able to face and resolve these problems as soon as possible so that these problematic students do not hinder the learning process of other students. You can reprimand him in class, and if that doesn't work, you can kick him out first and talk to him after class.
- There are many types of problem students. For example, if one of your students is speaking without permission, remind yourself how important it is to raise your hand before you speak.
- If you have a student who talks too much, remind him or her to wait until at least four other students have spoken beforehand. While this may sound mean and unfair, it can help the student focus on listening to other students' ideas and words.
- If you have students who are distracted or doing other things during your class, arrange for them to sit in the front and pay extra attention to them.
- If you find it difficult to lead a discussion because many students do not prepare, then you should provide incentives such as holding an impromptu quiz before the discussion, promising additional marks for those who actively participate in the discussion, or finding other ways to ensure that they will do their work before the discussion. started.
Part 3 of 3: Ending the Discussion
Step 1. Summarize as long as you bring the discussion
One way to ensure that all students have the same understanding is to summarize the discussion before moving on to the next stage. You can bring it up without looking like it's interrupting the discussion. Even repeating points made by you or your students with a little more clarity can help your students better understand the big picture of the topic. Always take the time to summarize the discussion every 20 minutes, especially if you are leading a long discussion, to keep all students in the same direction.
You can ask your students to summarize. You can say "OK, what do we know so far?" and ask students who are willing to explain
Step 2. Draw a final summary or conclusion
When the discussion time is up, or the discussion is over, draw a final conclusion about what has been discussed. Explain the starting points, and remember all the arguments that were made during the discussion. Don't throw away any arguments that come up and focus on gathering all the ideas that came up and were discussed. Do not show that there is only one answer or absolute conclusion in this discussion. Make sure you leave time to draw final conclusions so that your students don't get distracted and instead get busy stuffing their books and stationery into their bags.
- It is at this point that the notes you write throughout the discussion can be very useful. By having something you can visually explain, you can explain and draw conclusions more easily.
- You can even ask your students to draw conclusions from the discussion. This will make the designated student feel responsible and more involved in the discussion.
Step 3. Leave time for questions and answers
Make sure you leave a few minutes for the question and answer session at the end of the discussion. You want your students to end the discussion with the impression that they are learning something new, not confused. If you open a Q&A session when your class is almost over, your students will be reluctant to ask questions because they don't want the class to last longer than it should. Allow sufficient time for the question and answer session and make sure you invite all students to ask questions if they are confused.
- Answering student questions can also help you conclude the discussion more thoroughly.
- Getting questions from students can also provide information about the advantages and disadvantages of the discussion that has just taken place. If five students are confused about the same thing, it means that you did not discuss it well in the discussion.
Step 4. Make them curious
Close the discussion with questions related to the topic or recommendations for further research. This will leave them with something they want to learn later. Don't make students feel like they've learned everything about the topic and have answered all the questions that come up. Keep the discussion going by helping them gain knowledge, and making them impatient to get back to discussing other things.
- Ending the discussion by making your students more curious can also give you something to discuss at the next meeting. They will come to class more prepared and eager to return to the discussion, and they may have learned an extra thing or two before that.
- Try to do a short evaluation. Ask students to say what they learned from this discussion and where this discussion could go. They can do this at the end of class, or in a written survey.
Step 5. Evaluate each student's participation and make improvements in subsequent discussions
After the discussion ends, remember who spoke the most, who spoke the least, and who contributed the most to the discussion. Keep in mind that talking a lot doesn't mean contributing a lot. In the next discussion, you can invite students who rarely talk to be more active, and make sure all students have the opportunity to talk and no student is too domineering.
Remind yourself that no discussion is perfect. As you improve your ability to lead discussions, you will also experience improvements in ensuring that all students actively participate in discussions
Tips
- Maintain a positive attitude. If the discussion gets difficult, remember that anyone who can talk can learn a lot and enjoy a discussion. Questions about a topic can motivate a person to learn, and discussion and talking are natural for everyone. So, if you run into trouble, don't give up!
- Make sure the discussion runs for at least an hour, but remember that the best discussions (those that generate new questions and knowledge) can take up to three hours to arrive at a final conclusion and understanding.
- Socrates was an expert at leading discussions. Learn from those who are experts.
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Sometimes the most important questions are the hardest to answer. Although sometimes the final answer is not there, difficult questions like “what is a human being” can still be relevant questions. Let your class discuss something that interests them, even if you can't find real-world applications yet. A good discussion doesn't always lead to a final conclusion, or even ends in a position against the topic at hand.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of discussion: theory and practice. Distinguish between dialogue that leads to finding facts or conclusions and dialogue that leads to consensus and action. Also, make sure you explain to the discussion participants what type of discussion is currently taking place
- Many people feel that open discussion between participants who want to learn or discuss the topic is unreasonable. If you or your group are starting to think this way, try asking yourself, "Why is this important to talk about?" Take the time to decide which projects you should pursue, which aren't, and then act on those decisions.
- Give more ideas. Create a new discussion once the other ones are finished.
Warning
- Let your discussion move from one point to another. Tradition, experience, and recent research say that a one-way learning process, which is structurally neater, is neither sustainable nor an effective way to learn.
- Many people get emotional when their ideas are questioned or their beliefs refuted. You have to anticipate people like this. To minimize the bad effects, try to convey everything clearly and rationally, don't just say "You're wrong."
