Additional Tips on Leading Discussions Compiled from TAs (by Todd Onderdonk)

Tips for generating discussion/engagement:

As for the actual weekly hour, shift the load to them. You are a facilitator, not a teacher, really. Assign them regular or rotating responsibilities—lecture recaps, presentations, weekly written responses, or have them bring in discussion questions themselves, and let them take turns leading. This will lighten your load, and help them think for themselves. Resist lecturing—this is their opportunity to talk and explore—it's your job to get out of the way unless they go astray. Group-work works well too—formulate some provocative questions, let 'em meet for 20 minutes in groups, then take turns sharing the results with the whole class. This gets them arguing, engaged, and lets them get comfortable with talking and each other. I've also found that the more you focus on stuff that helps their grade, the more attentive they will be. A brief mid-term survey can help you sense how it is all going...

Have you tried any in-class writing exercises? Sometimes I'll tell my students to pay attention to particular things in the texts they are reading for next section. Then, I have them write for 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning of class on whatever it was they were supposed to think about. You can structure discussion around their writing. I find this productive for a couple of reasons: first, they are less shy about contributing because they already articulated some ideas on paper, also, it helps me focus the sections—because, while a free-form discussion may be the ideal, they can tend to get scattered.

Last semester I would tell them to come the following week with one question or comment about the reading and they'd write them anonymously on 3X5 cards. Then we'd shuffle the cards and deal them out. Every person had to answer or comment on the card they got, and if they absolutely couldn't come up with something, they could trade cards with someone else. Not too exciting, but everyone says something and it stirred up a little conversation.

I always walk into my 316k sections (world) with multiple readings of the literature which I have converted to questions for guiding discussion, raised by focusing attention on relevant passages. If your scope is somewhat defined by the major themes or interests the professor has identified in large lecture, why not teach your students close reading: demonstrate a rhetorical or in-depth analysis of a passage of the text. This should build on skills they should have acquired in 306 (Intro to Rhetoric and Composition) and help them support an argument for a particular reading come exam time (i.e., it teaches them that analysis or interpretation is argument.)

I usually started my sections with one or two general questions, then gave the students ten minutes or so to prepare answers, then used their answers as bases for discussion.

I also did *lots* of close reading. I'd make the students find important passages, then explain the relevance of those passages to the entire work. I frame my questions by presenting a possible reading or some context. Usually a good question has several answers, but I am always ready to supply an answer or at least give some more clues to my thinking if the class is stuck. I also find that rewarding students for answering ("that’s a great idea. . ."; "that's very interesting. . .") encourages future participation!

As my 316K prof last semester suggested, use the blackboard, get schematic. Everyone likes to see something they said up there on the board—just like grad-students like to hear the professor quote their contributions in seminars. They are also more likely to write it down.

With regards to your students:

Have some faith in your students and high expectations of them. Don't think that just because they had wimpy English classes in high school or lack reading skills that they don't have functioning and creative intellects. We "experts" can get a little snobby about this. They will sense your scorn and pay it back in kind, and on your evals. Model some enthusiasm, some genuine interest and analytical skills for them, and they will pick it all up and surprise you.

Remember that students tend to remember ideas they formulate themselves, the answers to questions they ask, and concepts that are made relevant to their lives. Don't underestimate their interests—suggest a simple theoretical palette, a range of possible approaches.

And a cautionary note from a 316K professor:

I just want to caution you all about not investing TOO much energy in your discussion classes. If you find your graduate work suffering, try to find ways to cut back on what you're doing in the discussion classes. For example, use peer editing and revising exercises instead of trying to grade everything yourself. Eliminate a writing exercise and replace it with some in-class close and careful analytical and interpretive exercise if it allows you to work on your papers or to prepare for a seminar presentation. Share short-cut tips with each other that have worked for you in class. God knows, you guys have plenty to do. Remember that the undergrads should be aware of their own performance pressures; they have to work, put some effort into the class. You do not have to do everything, cover everything for them.