Full class discussions are a big part of this class. It takes work to build the culture of respect and responsibility that allow these discussions to happen. But if that culture gels, it can be awesome. As a former student of mine said about it . . .

 

“The way that you don't actually teach us is one of your biggest strengths. You allow us to work collectively to figure out problems and understand them. I find that much more productive than taking notes and listening to a lecture  . . . ”

 

Here are some things that I’ve learned about how to make that kind of learning work. 

 

Responsibility:

 

Some people find it easy to talk in a big group. For others, making a contribution can be a tremendous act of courage. For class discussions like the ones we’ll hold in this class, your participation is essential.  

 

• You have the responsibility to ask someone to speak up if you can’t hear. 

• You have the responsibility to share your ideas. 

• You have the responsibility to challenge ideas that you aren’t sure about. 

• MOST IMPORTANTLY: You have the responsibility to share questions and confusions that you have. If you don’t understand what someone else is saying, you have the responsibility ask them for clarification. 

 

No one will know whether you need clarification unless you say something like, “I don’t get what you’re trying to say.” 

 

Lots of people are nervous about talking in class. That’s normal. If you have trouble with talking in class, tell me. I’ll help you. Also, think about ways to take that courageous leap into our conversation. It will help you gain confidence. It will help you learn science. It will help you grow as a person.  

 

Respect: 

 

We will argue. It’s part of science. It’s one of the ways that science gets to the truth. But argument in science is not some smack-down brawl. Instead, we’ll argue in a way that makes everyone feel respected and interested and empowered to speak. In science, we’re not trying to WIN, we’re trying to GET TO THE TRUTH. 

 

As mentioned before, sharing in a group is nerve-wracking for lots of people. We’ve got to ensure that everyone feels like they have a voice, that they’ll be listened to and taken seriously. With that in mind:

 

• Never make fun of, put down, or laugh at anyone in this class EVER--even if you’ve been buddies since the second grade and, “you’re always kidding around like that.”

• Listen and try to understand everyone who speaks. 

• If you disagree, disagree with an idea NOT a person. (I disagree with Ben’s idea. NOT I disagree with Ben.) It seems small, but it can make a big difference. 

• Don’t dominate the conversation. It takes some people a long time to form ideas. If people who process quickly jump in all the time, then we lose valuable voices. A good guideline  is Three Before Me--if you’ve just spoken, let three others talk before you offer another idea. 

 

Community:

 

In a consensus discussion, our goal is to express the understanding of the whole group. It’s about what we agree on, and it’s about the evidence that we use to support our ideas. 

 

This is really hard. We want the world to be black and white. We want right answers. There will be times when you want me to stop the conversation and tell you what’s right. It’s hard to accept that science is changeable and that scientific ideas are never totally finished. So, as part of this community, I ask you to:

 

• be flexible--You’ll hear lots of ideas. Some will be wrong. I may let wrong ideas go unchallenged so that you, as a class, can wrestle with them, learn something from them, and (hopefully) see their wrong-ness on your own. 

• trust--I won’t allow a consensus discussion to end unless our idea makes sense to me. After all, I’m a member of this community too, and I have a responsibility to share my ideas as well. 

• talk to me--If you’re lost or frustrated, or if you don’t think you’re learning as much as you can, let me know. This is your class. Claim it!