“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” –William Butler Yeats

If You Choose to Lecture

“There’s an old joke where the lecturer says, 'Let's get the rules straight: I'm here to speak; you're here to listen. You're going to finish your job almost inevitably well before I finish mine.' Unfortunately, that's the likely effect if you don't alter the energy in some ways.” - Bob Kegan, Harvard professor of research in adult learning.

There are true subject matter experts who excel at sharing their knowledge with participants in a lecture format. Those who succeed at this follow a few simple principles:

• Show enthusiasm for the subject. Let your passion shine through your words. 

• Deliver your material in a relaxed, conversationaal tone, not as a reading or recitation.

• Show solid understanding of the material. If you're going to hold the floor in class, make sure you get it right and be ready for questions to clarify or expand on your material.

• Present in a well-organized fashion. Let participants know what you'll cover at the start of the session and sum up at the end (tell them what you are going to tell them; tell them; tell them what you told them.)

• Enliven the facts with story telling. Are there stories you can share about an author, events in history, a moment of discovery?

• Make a personal connection with the topic and/or invite participants to do so.

• Draw connections with similar or current issues.

• Welcome questions and/or comments.

• Connect participants with each other as they ask questions or comment on the material. Ask other participants to respond to each other, rather than just holding a back-and-forth between SGL and student.

• Elaborate on and/or clarify a point that may have been confusing.

• Beware of just reciting facts, repeating what was already in the assigned text, or, worst of all, just reading your slides to the class.

• Read the room. If you see participants drifting off, checking their phones, or doodling, it's time to change it up.

Check out the Harvard School of Education "Instructional Moves" site for more ideas on how to lecture interactively.

Strategies for Getting Students to Talk in Class

There are multiple strategies for stimulating class discussion. Here are some tools you may consider in trying different ways to get people talking. Remember that each SGL will have a different style and comfort level in stimulating discussion, so these are just suggestions when you want to try something a little different. 

Frame Open Questions

Try not to use rhetorical questions or “yes/no” “agree/disagree” questions. Open questions work best for getting students to engage in thoughtful discussion.

Encourage Debate with an Either/Or Question

“Is the frontier or the industrial revolution more important for an understanding of American character?” Have the class divide physically into those who favor each side and those who are undecided. Have the pro and con sides debate the issue, with the undecided free to contribute at any time. Instruct students to move to the other group if they change their view during the debate. This kind of debate helps students experience intellectual flexibility

Give Students Time to Think

Begin the class by giving students five minutes to write on a topic relevant to the discussion. They can assemble their thoughts, particularly with complex material. It will also reinforce the utility of writing for sorting out one’s thoughts.

If students seem to need more time to think, ask them to turn to a classmate and brainstorm some responses to your question for two or three minutes.

Show Value for Participant Responses

Affirmation is the strongest tool for inspiring participation. The simplest way to affirm what a participant has said is to thank them before moving on to the next speaker. That's the least that someone can expect when they have ventured a comment. But even better, demonstrate that you have heard them by summarizing their comment, linking it in some way to the larger discussion, or acknowledging their point and inviting others to comment or expand on it. 

Respond to “Off Target” Comments Encouragingly

Even if the comment is completely wrong or “off the wall,” thank the student for sharing their idea and find a way to link their concept back on the correct track of discussion. A repertoire of encouraging comments is useful here:

“Thank you for those thoughts on the matter. If you were to approach the concept from a slightly different angle, you might see that…”

Or, “I’m glad you brought up that idea. It reminds me that one of our concerns here is actually…”

Or, "That's a view I hadn't considered. I was thinking more along the lines of..."

After class, take the time to talk with the student who made the erroneous comment and discuss the issue with him or her then. This will reinforce that you want people to take risks with their ideas in class, and yet you are committed to helping your students understand the material correctly.

Decentralize

Literally tell the students to address their comments to each other, not the SGL.

Try not to reply to every student comment. Instead, throw the discussion back to the group by asking what they think about what has just been said. This will get dialog going among the participants, rather than a simple “call and response” between a participant and the SGL.

As an icebreaker, ask a question for which there is no single correct answer and go around the group with it. Example: What is the first adjective that comes to mind when you think of the protagonist of this story? Or: On a scale of 1 to 10, rate the effectiveness of Allied military leadership in 1916.

If the discussion group is large, divide it into smaller units, each one dealing with the same or separate problems in the reading. Float from group to group, giving guidance and answering questions when needed. Leave twenty minutes to reassemble the class and have the small groups report to each other.

Share the Authority

Have students make a list of topics for discussion at the beginning of a class. These can be problems, confusions, interesting points, or basic ideas in the text. Let the group pick the top three topics they want to cover.

Use Strategic Body Language

Literally push your chair away from the table during the discussion, signaling that the forum is now theirs. Nod your head encouragingly, place your hand over your mouth when a student is speaking. This signals that you are not going to interrupt them; it also helps give the impression of open consideration and reserving judgment.

Try not to cross your arms or frown when students are speaking

Take Notes When Students Are Speaking

This shows them that you value what they say and are learning from them. Taking notes allows you to remain engaged in the discussion without dominating it. It also helps you ask students questions when you want them to clarify their ideas.

Taking notes helps you remember what the students said so that you can refer to their comments later, which also shows them that you value their ideas. Knowing their ideas are valued will encourage them to speak in the future.

Use Active Learning Strategies

Solo free write: give participants time to jot down some ideas in response to a problem or question before you expect them to have an answer ready. Participants can then share their ideas with the class.

Use Small Groups 

Put the class into groups of three or four. Have them assign a scribe/spokesperson who will present the ideas they generate. Give them problems to solve or questions to answer or material to analyze from different perspectives.