Teaching- How To Have Class Discussions Without Hurt Feelings

Discussions--the opportunity for students to share their thoughts and opinions and to explore content at a deeper level can be fantastic. But how can we organize discussions so that they do not turn chaotic or devolve into arguments?

Just like we teach students how to line up, when to raise their hand, etc, we can teach students the procedures for a successful and respectful class discussion. In this post, I recommend several steps that have worked for me over the years.

1) Introduce mini-discussions with unemotional topics

No matter what age your students are, they can learn the procedures of a class discussion by practicing having discussions about really mundane things like chocolate vs. regular milk or pants vs. shorts. In this way, students work on taking turns, critical listening, and speaking to each other respectfully.

2) Have students use “I” statements to express opinions

By phrasing opinions with “I” statements of “I feel...”, “I think...”, “I like...”, it allows students to put opinions in the context of perspective vs. right and wrong. For example saying, “I do not like the music of The Beatles” sounds a lot different than “The Beatles are stupid”, but the student may mean the same thing. It may take some practice to put thoughts into “I” statements but the result will be much more respectful discussions.

3) Build upon the thoughts of others with “yes, and” connections

By using the phrase “yes, and…”, students are required to consider different perspectives without completely rejecting them as they would with a “but…” response. A good example could be Student 1: “Swimming is my favorite sport”, Student 2: “Yes, and Football is my favorite sport”. This example is simple, yet the same structure works with more difficult discussions that could easily turn into an argument. By continuing a classmate’s thought with “yes, and…”, the responding student admits that what the first student says is equally as valid as what they are about to say.

4) Get to the point when students can monitor their own conduct

Once the teacher establishes procedures for class discussions and the students have had opportunities to practice and learn the procedures, the accountability of following the established procedures becomes the responsibility of the students. In this way, students are actively aware of their own speech and relationship to others instead of reacting to a teacher overseeing their participation.

These four tips should provide you with great starting points for future class discussions.