ABSTRACT
Some days overwork, weak preparation, difficulty in understanding the text, encroaching illness, and bad weather will combine to produce a discussion that goes nowhere. The rate at which the students offer comments is sluggish. They keep looking at you rather than at each other for prompts. Several thumb through the text looking for inspiration. You try breakout groups and the students talk about everything except the text. There are twenty minutes left in the class. What can you do? Hopefully, you knew where you wanted the class to be by the end of the period. Discussion, after all, is a conversation with a purpose.
