English 2 - 3rd period Frequently at the end of class I’m told, “Omigosh! Time goes so quickly in here!” That’s music to my English-teaching ears because it means that we’re engaged and learning. While I have a couple of students who require more time and energy, for the most part the class feels like a cohesive whole. We laugh together, share insights together, and learn together. Whether it’s an individual reading conference, a small group discussion, or a whole class activity, I hear the voice of every single student during each class period. As that group leaves my room, I feel energized and enthused about my profession. English 2 - 5th period Despite the lesson plans being exactly the same, this class has no chemistry. Asking a question to the large group results in seeing the name two or three hands raised, no matter what. I call directly on others to hear their voices as well, and I’m often met with shoulder shrugs. While I have some great one-on-one conversations with other students, the class as a whole has no energy. I’ve tried more pair-sharing before discussions. I’ve used new seating arrangements. I’ve tried mixing small groups in different ways. I’ve called on random students to get them involved. Still, I’m predominantly met with silence. It takes much less time to get through materials with this group because the discussion is so lacking, so I often have to come up with other activities. One day we were finished a few minutes early, so I let them sit in their seats and talk. Except there was no talking. It was complete silence until the bell rang. I felt like I have traveled so some strange dystopian land where teenagers no longer spoke out of turn. One boy in this class journaled about his current dislike of English class. Today I sat down next to him during his reading conference and asked for some direct feedback. “What made English class better last year? You won’t hurt my feelings. I’m trying to engage this class more.” “I don’t know,” he responded. “Any ideas why you don’t like English as much this year?” “I don’t know,” he repeated with a shoulder shrug. Ah, the shoulder shrug. At the end of class today I divided the class into groups of three or four to discuss some debatable statements about a story we read together yesterday. Prior to entering the group, students wrote down their own personal responses to ensure that everyone had something to bring to the table, so to speak. As I wandered around the groups, I stopped to witness one student pushing another to share. “What do you think?” he asked. “I disagree,” she answered. “Why?” Shoulder shrug. “But you have something written on your paper. What does it say?” Shoulder shrug. And that, in a silent nutshell, is the class climate I have inadvertently created. (I realize this class is a bit smaller and meets right after lunch. I’m sure those variables are affecting the climate somewhat, but I don’t think that’s the entire problem.) What now? I know some fabulous teachers who might read this. What would you do? Have you ever had a class situation like this? Any fabulous tips that are sure to get these kids talking? Do I distribute peppermints before class each day to get our energy renewed? Do I start each day with a game or song and dance routine? Can I convert myself into an interactive hologram? Should I make discussion more weighty in their grades? (That feels tricky, but I guess it’s worth a shot.) Anyone have luck with the Harkness discussion method? Please help. This silence is driving me to desperation.
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September 2020
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