VARIATIONS ON SIMPLE CIRCLES
In a previous post, I described the Simple Circle Discussion (SCD) format. Sometimes, if a class is having lots of trouble leading its own discussion, I'll try a few variations on the SCD theme. The following variations can be used for all or part of a discussion.
Ooh! Look at That!
This variation is helpful when students just don't know where to start. Maybe the text is confusing, really complicated, or overwhelming. In such cases, we play a few rounds of "Ooh! Look at That!" All they need do is point out something they liked or found interesting or confusing. This strategy is great for discussions of poems. "I like that metaphor in line 4." "Is that an allusion in line 10? To what?" And so it goes, until finally the conversation starts moving in a more fruitful direction.
Divided Circle
I don't use seating charts for circle discussions unless I absolutely must. So most of the time, students sit near their friends. If they are only interacting with their friends during the conversation, despite my directions to include everyone, then I resort to a Divided Circle. I draw an imaginary line down the center of the circle and require those on one side of the line to interact only with those on the other side. This variation is of limited value.
Gendered Circle
If I notice that boys are only interacting with boys, or girls only with girls, then I require that boys must call on girls and vice versa. This works best in classes where the gender divide is pretty even.
3 Quotations
When I'm not hearing enough references to the text, I require the group to provide 3 relevant quotations in response to each question, or 3 passages in support of each new idea. We can't move on to a new topic or question until we hear 3 relevant quotations.
Raise the Stakes
If students reach plateau with this format, I start demanding higher-quality participation from everyone: bigger, better questions, a quotation with every response, connections to other texts/courses. I might also outlaw the changing of topics until the students have dug into each one more deeply. Over time, I've come to believe that this strategy, too, is of limited value.
ADVANTAGES OF SIMPLE CIRCLES
The clearest advantage of the SCD format is that the students are responsible for sustaining the discussion. It's no longer my job to keep it going; it's theirs. I use SCDs to teach this skill in particular. Once students master the art of sustaining the conversation, then we can work harder on improving the quality of the conversation.
With a SCD, the students are listening to each other, responding to each other, and focusing on each other, instead of on me.
This format prevents the most assertive students from taking over, and gets most of the quieter students to speak up, at least a bit. In the Socratic model, when the teacher calls on a shy student, everyone focuses on that student. Here, the shy student can (learn to) ask questions of others, shifting the focus back onto the group.
With this format, the teacher is actually listening to the conversation--the entire conversation. With the Socratic Method, which I have critiqued before, the teacher can easily fall into the habit of listening only for certain answers, the answers that will allow the teacher to ask the next question in the magic sequence. I find that I listen much more deeply during student-led discussions. And I have time to really think about what my students are saying.
DISADVANTAGES OF SIMPLE CIRCLES
Assertive students master this discussion format rather quickly, and it ceases to be a challenge for them. They earn their quota of points for the day and then coast. Unless they're motivated by genuine interest in the topic, they end up caring more about points than ideas.
Shy students will often opt out, deciding to take a zero for the day.
The intensity of these conversations flags easily, perhaps because there's no collaborative effort, perhaps because there's no reason for the students to strive for higher-quality discussion. Unless all the students are invested in the quality of the entire conversation, this format can only take them so far.
To push student-led discussions to the next level, one must employ more structure and make quality-control the responsibility of all the students.
Please let me know what you think in the comments!
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