How to foster a sense of community with student-driven class discussions

At the onset of the academic year, sparking your students’ enthusiasm for deep conversation is like asking them to climb Everest without oxygen and do burpees at the summit. Do not shoulder the creative burden alone; share it with your students!

A wellspring of good ideas is at your fingertips. Empowering students is easy if you tap into what matters to them. Their interests and concerns are a surefire way to get their minds and creative juices flowing. The X-factor is to get them to think critically and to develop brutally-honest opinions on serious issues. Join forces to cultivate trust and create a supportive, sensitive and non-judgemental environment. In these regards, teachers referee the championship game and everyone benefits from having home-field advantage. As for subjects that impact their lives, nothing should be off-limits. The more passionate they are about what they discuss, the better. Once they gain momentum, the deep questions practically ask themselves. This is the creative force behind our content at English Education Lab.

So how exactly can you foster a sense of community with student-driven conversation? If we were to put it in a few words, it would go something like this: facilitate successful conversation groups and activities by building trust, first and foremost. Allow discussions to grow organically, encourage participation, and practice reflection. Here are some pointers to get started.

Build trust at the outset. Brainstorm guidelines that specify acceptable conduct and draft them together before initiating discussions. A common example is electing to discuss subjects that everyone is comfortable with. No one should feel forced to venture outside of their boundaries. Create a concise list of written rules: no interrupting when someone is speaking, no derogatory comments, open discourse over disagreements, and zero judgment. Deviating from the class-designed guidelines should be identified and addressed as a united front (unless they are blatant incidents): no pointing or giving the finger! There will always be teachers and students eager to dive into the deep end; if you’re going to get your feet wet, you might as well go swimming! For others, not so much. Settle with a happy medium at the beginning. We always recommend beginning with the three ‘S’s’: small, simple and safe. Start with semi-benign, less daunting subjects to encourage students to participate without feeling vulnerable. In this way, a foundation of trust is built gradually before tackling topics that push students to face their core values and those of their peers. When that foundation is laid, delve deeper into subjects more intimately connected with who they are and what they care about. Don’t rush it!

Bend, don’t break. If you want to take a more fluid approach to class discussions, brainstorm together to generate a list of interests and issues that resonate throughout the classroom. List them under headlining subjects. You are on the right path if the points beneath the headline are connected. This is a surefire way to engage and rally students around highly-relatable topics from the beginning. There will be differences of opinion. They are meant to be challenged. These are natural, acceptable consequences of open discourse. Like stalks of bamboo weathering winds from all directions, the class will bend but not break. To get things rolling with a plan, have a look at our conversation starters. Each one walks you through the process of setting up and executing a successful and structured student-led class discussion by supplying you with all the necessary tools and instructions.

Encourage and celebrate all forms of participation. Students are accustomed to being graded on their participation in class. We strongly suggest ditching this approach in the beginning. Foremost, students need to feel safe and supported by their peers. This environment must be nurtured, especially for students terrified of public speaking. No one should be forced into a leadership position (those qualities tend to surface naturally in students with initiative) or have to take up the slack of others. Teachers mustn’t become the primary drivers in discussions. Jump in with follow-up questions to nudge conversations in the right direction, but allow students to drive the helm with their ideas. An easy way to get everyone involved is to divide the class in half or into groups, each assigned an oppositional point of argument. Delegate responsibilities within the groups according to each member’s strengths: brainstorming, outlining and writing, for example. Allow students to incorporate visual and performing arts to augment their vocal arguments. Effective communication is not dependent on verbal means. The sky’s the limit here!

Spend time reflecting on the class discussion. Dedicate time at the end of every discussion to reflect on what worked, what didn’t and where to improve. Student, and teacher-to-student, evaluations are helpful tools to convey constructive criticism and encouragement. They also serve as barometers for who, what, when, where, why and how in later discussions. Encourage students to expound and expand on their strengths. Identify subjects that resonate and support them with additional resources if possible, but conduct the majority of research together. One of the most memorable experiences I recall from the 9th grade is when we discussed teenage depression as a class. I do not exaggerate; everyone spoke up because the subject matter resonated. We were eager to be heard, to share our experiences, to ask questions, and to listen. It was amazing! Experiences like the one above and many from our personal lives prompt us to create teaching resources that fuel classroom discussions in this vein and empower students to speak up for themselves and each other. Mental health awareness is near and dear to us at English Education Lab. We can not create enough material on this subject. If you’re interested, click here.

Summing it all up. While there is some behind-the-scenes preparation and organization on the teacher’s part, student-driven class discussions are student-driven. Eventually, most will take the podium to represent themselves. In preparing them for the occasion, teachers who implement classroom discussions alleviate much of the pressure associated with solo public speaking. Through this avenue, students learn the necessary skills and confidence to deliver their ideas effectively. This format also builds an environment of trust and safety. There is plenty of room for creativity; think outside the box on various ways to deliver a point that doesn’t necessarily involve verbal expression. Hone in on individual student’s strengths and how they can apply them to support their peers. It is a great way to get everyone involved at the onset without pushing anyone too far outside of their comfort zones. These are some of the many ways you can foster growth in crucial facets of effective public speaking without coming across as The Devil. Good luck, have fun and learn from each other!

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