  Hello! I'm so pleased to see you all carrying on such a lively conversation; you're informed, you're responding to each other, and you're connecting all kinds of ideas and subjects. Literature leads to culture, which leads to politics, which leads to a need to communicate civilly, which leads back to writing and literature. Truly, you folks are the kinds of students teachers dream of when they first go into teaching. I also appreciate your feedback about what is happening in class. Concerning discussion...this has come up before.
Those of you who are participating feel like we are in a rut, as if you are dragging many unwilling--or unresponsive--bodies along with you. Speakers and non-speakers become entrenched in their roles, and soon, class is predictable. Boring. So why have I allowed this? Part of my role as a teacher is to facilitate, to push students to do what they would not be willing to do on their own. I have a preferred style, though, that is based on respect of students' choices.
I find it very difficult to make a person speak if he or she is not willing. Why? Some people are painfully shy, and to be made to speak causes that student to suffer. I would like class conversation to work like it does at a good dinner party, where people speak because they are interested and engaged. I give all of you prep work, and I make the assumption that if you have done the work, you have the tools to speak. And I expect you to be motivated enough--courageous enough--to conquer fear of a large room and state your opinion.
Perhaps this is idealistic of me, yet this is what democracy depends upon. In the way we have a large group of silent people, our class is echoing a societal trend. Small numbers of people bother to get out and vote; small numbers of people in class participate in discussion. What do we do? I could be an autocrat and put people on the spot, giving "points" to those who have an anwer. Is this the role of a teacher?
Is this what you want class to look like? Feel like? Do you want speaking aloud to be connected to rewards and punishments? To take this analogy further, should we somehow punish people who choose to avoid their responsibilities as US citizens? Dock their pay if they don't vote? The classroom is a special place, though.
It wasn't until extra credit was offered that any of you chose to participate in the blog. So what to do? When leaders are organizing activities, one of the things they know to do is to invite specific individuals to participate in the group. All of you who participate in this blog participate in class, also. By speaking aloud, others will see you as class leaders. If you want to maintain a democratic classroom, where students feel like equals and I am not treating you all as minions, what if you were to start inviting other students to respond?
Why should I be the one to ask questions, just because I am the teacher? Don't you all ask questions of each other when you are in small groups? What if you start doing this in a large group? Who do you want to hear from? Ask that person a question, draw them in. What kind of encouragement/lessons/announcements (if any) do you need from me to help you take a more active role in making discussion work?
I have been in classes before where one of the ground rules for discussion is that no one in the room may make more than 2 comments until everyone has been invited to share something with the large group. We could do this if you'd like. It can feel contrived; however, if you want to change the dynamic of class, this is a system that can help encourage change. What do you think? Mrs. V-A 
