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As I observed my mentor teacher, I noticed that she lead many group discussions with her classes. English courses revolve around reading texts and communicating thoughts, which is why I wanted to hone in on the best way to conduct group discussions. Her discussions were often successful, but I wanted to know how I could make them better. I wondered how I could get full participation out of each student, and how they could get the most out of each discussion. During this crazy time when half my class was on ZOOM and the other half were in front of me, I still wanted to make sure my students opinions were heard and connections were being built with the texts and each other.

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Questions I Had About Leading A Group Discussion 

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Questions I Had About Leading A Group Discussion 

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1. How can I help students feel less anxious about speaking in front of the class?

2. If students don't feel comfortable speaking in front of the class, should I resort to a different discussion forum (Padlet, Jamboard, Zoom chat) to ease them into class discussions, or should I push them out of their comfort zones?

3. What do I want student's participation to look like?

4. Is it possible to turn group discussions into a game so students are more inclined to participate?

5. How do I create an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts/opinions with me since I'm a new teacher?

6. Should I allow students to be the leaders of group discussions?

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February: What I Was Learning In The Beginning 

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February: What I Was Learning In The Beginning 

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1.  The students didn't seem anxious about speaking up during group discussions. They seemed disconnected. When I first started, I was having trouble getting through to them about why these talks matter.

2. I quickly realized that getting students to participate in group discussions was similar to pulling teeth: it was difficult and sometimes painful. The silence was loud. What was even more difficult was getting students who were physically in my classroom to communicate with students who were fully virtual. How could I make this work?

3. Participation is a tricky word. I had to figure out if participation meant giving me the answer I was looking for or simply speaking up in discussions. I was learning that students preferred to talk about their own life experiences rather than the curriculum.

4. I'll be honest, these students seemed bored. They were tired of computer screens, paperless worksheets, and sitting in chairs all day. I knew I needed to incorporate some kind of game that related to the curriculum. Something that allows them to move around, communicate, and adds an elements of competition. These kids needed some excitement!

5. When I first started, I saw that many students were guarded. They didn't open up easily and they were weary of new teachers. I also don't think they knew how to act around me because they hadn't determined my personality yet. "Is Miss. Shelton strict?" "Is she more of a dictator or does she believe in democracy in the classroom?" "Does she have a good sense of humor?" "Is she lenient?" I assumed these were the questions that were going through their heads when I entered the classroom. I was going to have to gain their trust if I wanted to build a relationship with them, as well as show who I am.

6. Ideally, I would love for students to freely communicate and step up as leaders. I noticed that some were more inclined to lead than others, but most were not willing to speak freely to each other without my guidance. I had to ask numerous questions to keep them thinking and communicating with one another.

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1. I realized I had to put myself out there, so that's what I did. I had to crack jokes, talk about my life experiences, and show some vulnerability to create a connection and make them eager to speak their opinions. This seemed to help students speak up more.

2.  If students weren't going to use their physical voices, I had to get creative. I began using Padlet, Jamboard, and the Zoom chat for many of our group discussions. It worked wonders! I had students who had never participated starting to type their thoughts/opinions. I was getting through to them, and I learned so much about my students through these forums. Pushing them out of their comfort zones was going to have to wait, or maybe I was pushing them without even realizing it.

3. I allowed students to talk about their lives and get off topic a bit. If you give students some freedom of discussion, they are more likely to participate in conversations revolving around the curriculum.

4. I created a game called Sticky Ball. It's a quiz review game that incorporates movement, communication, and learning. The rules of the game are as follows:

- I project all the student's zoom screens on the white board.

- A student who is physically in the classroom comes up and throws 2 balls that will hit 2 players.  (the balls stick to the white board.)
- The 2 players who are hit will have to answer a trivia question. Whoever answers the question first, wins.
- Whoever loses has to answer a quiz review question. If they don't know the answer, they are allowed to phone a friend for assistance.
My students LOVE Sticky Ball. I found that they got to connect with each other. There were a lot of laughs and discussions that came from this game. It helped mix up their daily schedules too.
5. To create a comfortable environment, I told/showed my students who I was and what my expectations were for them. I created a Jamboard that introduced myself (see photo above.) I told them about my hobbies and laid down some basic classroom rules. I joked with them, shared some of my life experiences, and spoke to them as if they were my peers. I showed them that I enjoy a more casual environment rather than a formal one. They slowly began to feel more comfortable and to trust me.
6. I guided them in class discussions. I wrote down dozens of questions to ask them, which all tied to the current text we were reading. Whenever the class fell silent, I posed another question, and another, and another. I had to be the leader until the students felt confident enough to speak freely, which was fine with me. My ultimate goal was to give them the confidence to step up as leaders of discussions, which was what I began to work towards.

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March: What I Was Learning / Student Progress 

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March: What I Was Learning / Student Progress 

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1. After a a month of building relationships with students, they seemed more engaged during group discussions. They were finally speaking up and sharing bits and pieces of their lives with me and their classmates. They seemed more confident in their speaking abilities as well. Many students went from communicating in the Zoom chat, to turning their microphones on and using their voices. Together we were building connections and having longer discussions.

2. I learned that students enjoyed using Padlet and Jamboard to communicate. They loved the creativity of it all. They could use emojis, post gifs, and even draw. It was a good tool to get them talking.

3. As students shared more of their lives with me and their classmates, they were more inclined to voice their opinions on what we were learning. Students were discussing the unit we were learning. They were talking about segregation in schools, The Civil War, and different texts we read.

4. After the first time playing Sticky Ball, the students asked to play every week. Many told me this helps keep them engaged and prepares them for the quizzes. Although they enjoyed Sticky Ball, I didn't want them to get bored again, so I had to think of another engaging game for quiz review days.

5. I figured out that I had to do more than be my authentic self in front of my students. I had to listen to them and truly care in order to fully gain their trust. I also learned that being a teacher is a lot like being a therapist to dozens of teenagers.

6. Overtime, students became more comfortable with leading group discussions. After I posed a topic, many of them ran with it. They voiced their opinions and often found gateways into other topics on their own. I found myself needing to ask less questions to guide them.

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1. Getting students to open up during class discussion wasn't as difficult as I originally thought. Honestly, I found that just being myself was the spark that persuaded students to speak up. Not only did they engage in group discussions, but they were being their authentic selves as well. I continued to be my authentic self so that students felt comfortable reciprocating that same energy.

2. I continued using Padlet and Jamboard for our class discussions until they felt more comfortable communicating with each other without a keyboard (see Padlet above.)

3. I always start my classes off with a 5-10 minute open conversation. This gives students a chance to catch up with their classmates. They value our conversations about life, and I found that they give great advice! After the time is up, they know it's time to get to work. Their participation has skyrocketed since I've implemented this strategy.

4. I decided to create Kahoots for quiz review sessions. I alternated between Sticky Ball and Kahoots. This way, students didn't get bored playing the same game every week. Since Sticky Ball is such a loud and competitive game, Kahoot included students who were more quiet than others.

5. Many of them had been suffering from mental health issues due to the pandemic. They felt lonely and distant from their loved ones and peers. I was surprised with the amount of students who vented to me about their problems. They just needed someone to listen, and wanted someone to care. I did care, and I empathized with many of them. These moments helped build strong relationships with my students. They could see that I genuinely cared and was there to help with whatever they needed. One of my students was not doing well in the class when I started student teaching.

6. I laid off asking questions. When I put the discussion in their hands, they realized that they were in charge of where the conversation would go. I often gave participation points to students who spoke up during discussions. Slowly but surely, leaders were being created.

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I will take with me the knowledge of how to lead group discussions. Leading group discussions is a skill that comes from building relationships with students. In order for students to feel comfortable speaking their minds, the teacher must show their authentic self. I shared many life stories, advice, and always kept a good sense of humor in the classroom. After I opened up, students started opening up too.
I also ensured that their voices were always heard by me and their classmates. This let every student know that their ideas were valued and welcomed.
I learned that students will start to lead the discussion on their own as they feel more comfortable and confident. A good leader knows when to step aside and let others lead, which is what I did and will continue to do with my future students.