# How well do you handle in-class discussion?



## Reverie (Apr 10, 2006)

When you're in a class environment which requires you to speak up, to debate and share ideas-- especially for a grade-- how do you do it in spite of SA? Any advice or experience?

For me, next semester is going to be tough, since I'm taking a discussion-intensive class in literature and I'm usually the observing, reflective type who doesn't do a lot of talking. :| I'm quiet for a number of reasons: that I feel what I have to say 1) has already been said, 2) could be said just as easily or better by someone else, 3) is too elementary or useless, 4) is too complicated, comes from a different direction and requires too much time in the spotlight to explain, 5) derails or distracts the flow of the others' conversation, 6) is too critical of something, 7) is lacking in information and reasoning to back it up, or is actually wrong.

It's a confidence thing, isn't it? I know for certain that I know nothing, so while I try to question everything and examine everything from all possible angles, I lose the advantage that assertiveness brings in a discussion setting. And, I'm very shy. :roll What "the quiet one" says is automatically overshadowed by the fact that that person's finally speaking up.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I hate discussion so much. I usually end up forgetting what I want to say and studder. My professors are usually pretty understanding because they observe that I'm a quiet person. I've been lucky enough to receive participation points for barely participating.


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## R (Jun 13, 2006)

I don't think so. I see alot of quiet people in class speak up and end up thinking "I wish he talked more instead of this frat boy next to me"

For me in the class room is where i do best. It's so nice to have a large group of people talking about things that matter instead of sports or other meaningless crap.

I would say read up on something really good. speak out in class and try to build confidence in this one class then you can try other classes.

I remember communication class ...Blah.

I am taking spanish right now and we do alot of talking and such and living in New Mexico 80% of the class can already speak it and it is just killing me. Thought for sure i was failing but last week I found out i had a 77% (not great but not too bad)


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## Argo (May 1, 2005)

If I was in a small group I was able to do pretty well; it felt harder, though, to be the only one speaking in front of the whole class. I managed by just ignoring them --- pretending they weren't there as I talked, which meant making no eye contact, looking over everybody's heads, etc.


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## R (Jun 13, 2006)

I remember this one class i had to give a speech. I made a joke to make myself feel better and the teach stopped me in the middle of the report and ripped me a new one about not being professional.... That just destroyed me considering all the time i put into the report and speech.


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## Red_Roses (Jun 14, 2006)

I have to give presentations a lot in class. I spend most of my time dreading them. Usually by the time I get up there I either 1.)start to feel comfortable and just get through it, or 2.)get really nervous and talk to fast and mess up words or not know what to say next. I hate that.


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## ColdFury (Nov 6, 2003)

I avoid classes that have them!


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## No Limit (Dec 6, 2005)

I'm not so nervous if it's a class where I know the material well, but even then I sometimes hope the teacher doesn't call on to say something when the discussion is over.


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## Mads (May 8, 2006)

I absolutely suck at class discussions. I know I sound like an idiot when I speak in front of a class (especially if I have to come up with an answer on the spot), so I generally just slouch down and hope not to attract much attention. 

I have to take a communications class next semester and I'm dreading it. Ugh.


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## lyssado707 (Oct 29, 2004)

Easy. I don't handle in-class discussion. I just don't talk lol. I've had to put up with many idiot-moron teachers calling me quiet, but besides that, I usually get participation points for just being there. Sometimes I try to talk but can never say very much before I freeze up and look down. If I ever do get a class where most of it is centered around discussion, I'm just gonna tell the professor about my SA. It's not like they can kick me out of the class. Or at least I hope not lol.


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

Generally, I don't like speaking up in class. Usually though, if I don't do it, nobody else will and the silence makes me way more anxious than speaking up does.


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## LoveThySelf (May 19, 2006)

I dont handle them very well, because Im scared of voicing my opinion, not because I am afraid my opinion is wrong, but because Im afraid someone will disaggree and try to get into a debate with me, which I dont want.


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## Futures (Aug 27, 2005)

I guess I was kinda lucky because I didn't have many teachers that were really big on the whole class participation thing. And the ones that were, most of the time they gave you the necessary credit just for showing up to class every single day, even if you never talked. I think I had one or two classes where it was worth 5% of our overall grade, so I just took the 5% loss.

I had one professor that insisted people talk in class and made class participation like 15% of our overall grade, but I quickly realized that he never made the effort to learn the students by name, so I knew there was no way he could deduct participation points if he didn't know who anyone was. :evil


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## Redox (Jan 20, 2006)

I say nothing. I just spectate.


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## EmptyMind (May 24, 2006)

as much as I would like to contribute to the discussion, I just can't. :/


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## anonymid (Oct 16, 2005)

I teach college literature courses, and though I make them discussion-driven, I put no pressure on individual students to speak. Good, frequent participation will help a student's grade, but I don't hold a lack of participation against anyone. My experience as both a student in and a teacher of such courses has shown me that the students who participate all the time are not necessarily the brightest/smartest/most eloquent. Some of the brightest students choose simply to listen/spectate because that's how they're most comfortable.

I do recommend, though, that, being of the type who's silent in class, you try to visit the professor during her/his office hours to touch base, talk about the course, and in general send the message that your silence should not be taken as a lack of engagement with the material. That, of course, is something that can come through in your written work as well, but instructors/professors love it when students come in to their office to talk about the course (at least I do, anyway), especially when it's a student we don't hear much from during class discussions--it's always a breath of fresh air to hear from someone other than the "regulars," especially because the regulars are often the type that always talk in class not because they have much of substance to say but because they simply like to talk. And that can be tiresome and tedious. We've all been in a class where we've cringed or groaned or rolled our eyes everytime "that guy" raises his hand to say yet one more thing. 

Anyway, if frequent participation is required, and not just optional, I think it's especially important that you talk to your professor about your concerns. And do it early in the semester, too. Instructors are familiar with, and understand and often empathize with, all the reasons you give for being hesitant to speak. So your instructor won't think you're some kind of incompetent anti-social oddball loser for having reservations/fears about participating. Hopefully she/he can help you overcome some of those fears. And if not, at least your instructor will know that your silence in class is not an indication of a lack of engagement and enthusiasm.


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## Gerard (Feb 3, 2004)

My own participation depends on the "comfortableness" of the teacher and my peers. The more comfortable I feel around them the more I feel I can participate.


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## whiteclouds (Mar 18, 2004)

I am usually quiet. I find it very hard to keep up with the pace. And when I do think of something to say, somebody else starts talking before I can get a word in.


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## ghostgurl (Sep 20, 2004)

I can't do discussions at all.


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## GraceLikeRain (Nov 9, 2003)

It really depends on what the topic is, and also who is in the class. My religion course last term had a very large participation grade, but even this did not encourage me to speak up. I felt intimidated by the professor and some of the people in the class.


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## Whimsy (Mar 16, 2006)

Depends what the class is and what is being discussed. Some classes are too intersting to stay quiet. Some I couldn't give a **** what is being discussed. Some are way too funny its just better to let people go on and on. If someone says a blatent lie i'll correct them if I know i'm 100% correct. I did this once during speech. Some idiot stole my topic and my sources. Did his speech after mine and used my way of language too. So I burned him afterward in front of the class. The topic was personal so I was too angry to feel anxious. I corrected the professor too. I felt so damn good lol. I could never participate in literature classes. I hated them.


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## Futures (Aug 27, 2005)

anonymid said:


> I do recommend, though, that, being of the type who's silent in class, you try to visit the professor during her/his office hours to touch base, talk about the course, and in general send the message that your silence should not be taken as a lack of engagement with the material. That, of course, is something that can come through in your written work as well, but instructors/professors love it when students come in to their office to talk about the course (at least I do, anyway), especially when it's a student we don't hear much from during class discussions


You're right. I only did it once, but the teacher seemed VERY impressed with the fact that I came to his office to get clarification on a topic. Before that visit, I don't think he even knew my name. But after visiting him, he knew me on a first name basis the rest of the semester. Then 2 full semesters later, I ended up having him again for another course, and he still remembered my name. I really like him as a teacher. Quite possibly the best teacher I had in college.


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