An e-mail newsletter for people who train staff who
serve people with developmental disabilities.

Getting the Most Out of Classroom Discussion

Connie Horn
Education Specialist
Ask Connie a Question

Let’s face it, as instructors we try as hard as we can to get learners to participate in classroom discussions. We start by asking tons of questions, and the same few people try to answer them all. Occasionally something will fire everyone up for a few seconds and hands will go up, they are excited, everyone wants to contribute, and then back to reality. The learners slump back into their chairs, and we go back to long stretches of no participation.

Discussion in the classroom can be a powerful way of encouraging people to engage actively with course material. Or it can be an instructor’s worst nightmare, with learners staring back blankly and waiting for someone else to speak up. If at any point you find your discussions lagging, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the discussion have a purpose?
• Do you encourage participation?
• Do learners feel comfortable participating?
• Do you ask meaningful questions?

The following are guidelines to follow in making your classroom discussions more productive.

Give the discussion a purpose

• Identify objectives for each day’s discussion.
• Plan your questions and activities before class.
• Define how the discussion clearly fits the topic.
• Summarize key points.

Encourage participation

• Give each person a specific question or problem to address.
• Use small group discussion. This allows everyone the opportunity to pool ideas, experience and knowledge.
• Ask for new hands or for someone new to speak up.
• Ask a question and then wait approximately 10 seconds. This allows people more time to think about the answer.
• Have each person come to class with written questions related to the day’s discussion topic.

Learners need to feel comfortable

• Provide opportunities for everyone to get to know each other.
• Use “icebreaker” activities.
• Start a discussion with something everyone is familiar with.
• Control individuals who monopolize the conversation. Other people will learn to be silent if the instructor lets this continue.
• Break up into small groups if people tend to be quiet. They may feel safer contributing when there are fewer people.
• Define how the person’s ideas are an important part of their learning.
• Be tactful when correcting misinformation or wrong answers.
• Realize that not everyone learns at the same pace.
• Maintain a positive environment. If there is a sense that anyone will feel humiliated or ridiculed in class, they will not speak up.

Meaningful questions

Gear your questions to the learning objectives. Direct your questions to specific learners and include everyone in the room. This will increase the level of attentiveness. Consistently asking questions that are open to anyone in the class allows learners who monopolize the conversations to dominate.

There are certain forms of questions to avoid:

• The “Guess What I’m Thinking” Question: If you ask a question when you already have the specific answer in mind, the discussion turns into an attempt at mind reading.
• The Yes or No Question: A simple yes or no question can stop the discussion dead. Instead of saying, “Wouldn’t you agree Jane’s approach was wrong?” you might say, “Why do you think Jane’s approach was wrong?”
• The Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical questions are statements that masquerade as questions. For example, saying “We all know fire is a dangerous element, right?” instead of, “How is fire a dangerous element?”
• The Information Retrieval Question: This type of question simply asks learners to look in the text, find specific information, and bring it back to the instructor.

By following the above guidelines you enable learners to actively participate in classroom discussion. Discussions can become as rich as the class and instructor care to make them.

Connie Horn, Education Specialist
Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.
About Connie | Ask Connie a Question

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How does your view on the importance of theory affect your teaching?

I like knowing the theory, so I include a lot of it in my training.	18%
I like knowing the theory, so I do a lot of investigating during my preparation. However, I limit what I share in my session to only the necessary information.	68%
I like to know just the facts, so I rarely share the theory behind the practice.	14%
I don’t really care about theory, so I don’t teach it. I expect my learners to take what I say as true and do it.	0%

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The 2007 Staff Development Catalog is now available! The entire catalog is available online, and if you’re on our mailing list, you should receive your new catalog soon. If you’d like to join our mailing list, submit a catalog request or call 800.369.4636, ext. 3541.

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Bethesda remains steadfast in its efforts to provide you with new and updated staff development video titles. Shop Bethesda’s Staff Development Catalog

Relationships and Intimacy

Developing and maintaining relationships is an important part of everyone’s life. The false belief that people with developmental disabilities can not have significant social, intimate, or sexual relationships is still present in our society. Having relationships with others is a part of being human, regardless of any disability. VHS or DVD (29 min.).

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Relationships and Intimacy

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Six Newest Titles

Priced at just $25 per title, Bethesda’s Independent Study Modules offer an affordable and convenient method for staff training. Check out our newest titles and the 30-volume set:

• Adults with Autism
• Community Integration
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Fostering Self-Determination
• Interviewing: Knowing the People You Support
• Women: Aging and Health

Independent Study Module 30-volume Set
Individual titles from Bethesda’s collection of Independent Study Modules cost $25 each; however, you may now purchase all of our titles in an 30-volume set for $625. That’s a $125 savings!

What are Independent Study Modules?

They are paper-based training materials that are presented in an easy-to-read, self-paced format. These workbooks are convenient for late-night or weekend-shift staff and are a ready reference for veteran staff. Interactive activities and competency testing help staff retain the information. Plus, the workbooks are conveniently packaged for storage in your filing cabinet or 3-ring binder.

What do Independent Study Modules include?

• Study manual
• Worksheet and answer key
• Competency measure and answer key
• Engaging activities for both individuals and small groups
• Permission to make as many copies as your agency needs

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New Video Release
- Relationships and Intimacy
New Independent Study Modules
- Adults with Autism
- Community Integration
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Fostering Self-Determination
- Interviewing: Knowing the People You Support
- Women: Aging and Health
- Independent Study Module 30-volume Set

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