You look around. The room is filled with an odd
collection of humanity known as first-year college
students. This is their first week of their first
semester—which means they are people in
transition, away from old and familiar ways of being
to ones that are new and strange.
You too are a person in transition. This is your first
week of your first semester as a college-level
instructor, with no prior classroom experience. You
and the strangers before you with have to navigate
new and strange ways of being together—and
successfully. That will be a challenge.
Mastering your jitters, you look out at the faces
before you. You hope for signs that they will be good
material to work with. But those signs are sometimes
hard to spot.
Ms. Zhang and Xue sit quietly in back. Ms. Xue
whispers to Ms. Zhang while Ms. Zhang sizes you
up with an expressionless stare. Seated a couple of
desks in front of them, Cezar Martinez bows over his
notes, scribbling. To his right, Venkat and Kushagra
argue about their prior class. “It is! It is!,” Venkat
asserts, thumping his desk. “No. It is not!”Kushagra
objects, lifting his chin for emphasis.
To their right Irina Kozlova sits
erect with a book laying open on
her desk, a novel. She reads,
glances up every now and then
to see what signals you are
sending, and then continues to
read.
To her left, Jack, a latecomer, slides into a desk
on the front row and
slouches. He yawns and
glances at the desk next
to him, then at the girl
sitting at the desk next to
him. Perhaps he can find
a way to impress her.
That girl, Carol, not to be
impressed, sits amending
notes in a spiral-bound
notebook. Sensing Jack’s
encroaching glaze, Carol
shifts, quartering her
shoulder away from him
and frowning as she bites
her pencil.
It looks like you have your
work cut out for you.
It is 10:03 AM. Everyone seems to be here. Time to
get started? What should you do?
1) Take a few minutes to engage in small talk about
life outside the classroom, yours and theirs. [If this is
your choice, skip to the next slide.]
2) Jump right in to the day’s discussion. If you finish
with time to spare, you can let the class out early. [If
this is your choice, skip to slide #11.]
You: Boy, the weather was beautiful this weekend. Got out to the auto show
at Wind Rock Mall. Anyone get out there too?
[looks around at the faces]…No? [pauses]
Hope that doesn’t mean you all stayed inside…
Irina: I went to Acoma…the Sky City.
You: Acoma? That’s a pretty interesting place. Not your typical student
attraction. How did you happen to go there?
Irina: My classmate’s parents took us there. They live here.
You: Oh, well, did you enjoy it?
Irina: It was okay, interesting. The food was good.
You: Good food? That’s essential! Anyone else do something fun this
weekend?
Carol: I went to Sandia Crest.
You: Sandia Crest? Beautiful view up there. Did you ride the cable car?
Carol: No. We hiked a lot. Down the east side.
You: Lot of good trails on the east side. Stay away from the west side, though—
unless you like heat stroke and Gila monsters. Why didn’t you ride the cable car?
Carol: I’m afraid of heights.
You: Afraid of heights and you went to Sandia Crest? Like to face your fears? Good
for you! By the way, I never ride the cable car either. Too scary!…. Anyone else?
Jack: I went to a rave. (Watching closely to see the your reaction.)
[Some students snicker. Carol rolls her eyes and turns to frown at Jack.]
Venkat: [aside to Jack] The professor doesn’t know what a rave is!
You: [without missing a beat] A rave? Dark room, flashing light, sleepless night?
Can’t say for sure, Jack, but you may get your fill of sleepless nights cramming for
exams and writing papers. The beginning of the semester is when you should get
outside and enjoy the weather.
[slight pause]
Speaking writing papers, for today you were to read Diane Hoffman's " Culture and
Self in Multicultural Education" and we should probably get down to the business of
discussing it…
Now that you’ve transitioned to the day’s discussion, what
should your discussion strategy be?
1) Stimulate discussion with open-end questions,
encouraging student-to-student exchanges, helping all to
connect topics that come up with real-world experience—and
as opportunities present themselves, weave in references to
things that came up in small talk. This will show that you listen
when they talk and help them connect the classroom with the
real world. [If this is your choice, skip to slide #??.]
2) Stimulate discussion with open-end questions,
encouraging student-to-student exchanges, and helping all to
connect topics that come up with real-world experience. The
small talk, having helped break the ice, is best left behind:
bringing it into the discussion proper is much too risky. [If this
is your choice, skip to slide #??.]
You: Okay, let’s get started. For today you were to read Diane Hoffman's " Culture
and Self in Multicultural Education." As I said last time, we will be exploring some
the voices in the debate over multiculturalism as an educational reform. Can
someone give us a brief summary of Ms. Hoffman’s main point?
[A long silent pause] Anyone?
[The long pause continues. Students squirm and fidget.]
Ms. Zhang: She is for it?
You: “She is for it?” Is that a question or a statement?
Ms. Zhang: She is for it…I think.
Ms. Xue: I agree.
You: You agree? Okay. With what do you agree…that Hoffman is for multicultural
education?
[Ms. Zhang tightens her lips, wondering what you are fishing for. The Ms. Xue falls
silent and stares at her feet.]
Jack: I thought the article jumped around and never really got to a point. I didn’t like
it; it was boring.
You: Okay. Let’s see…So far, we have some who say Hoffman “is for it,” some who
agree, and some who thinks she jumps around and never comes to a point. Is
anyone willing to take a stab at telling us just what it that Hoffman says? …
Did everyone read the article?
[Looks around at blank stares. Some student nod; other do not.]
Okay…it’s early in the semester…this process is new for most of you…and it looks
like we’re getting off on the wrong foot…
YouYou:
address
of getting
offyou
on the
by Hoffman's "
Okay,the
let’sproblem
get started.
For today
werewrong
to readfoot
Diane
Culture and Self in Multicultural Education." As I said last time, we will be
exploring
some the voices
in the
debate
overa multiculturalism
as an
1) Saying
something
like, “We
should
take
moment to settle
down and
educational
Canissomeone
us a brief summary
Ms.Ms. Hoffman
relax.
The goalreform.
for today
to havegive
a conversation
about of
what
Hoffman’s
says—in
the main
samepoint?
way we might talk about, say, a TV program. This is
strange and new material I know for all of you. One of the benefits of a
[A long silent pause]
course like this is to give you practice getting your head around and talking
about
strange and new material. That’s what college is often about. Life too.
Anyone?
“It might help us to spend a little time getting to know each other, so that’s
what
we’ll
do.
Now,continues.
see if weStudents
can put squirm
these desks
in a circle.” [If this is your
[The
long
pause
and fidget.]
choice, skip to the next slide.]
Ms. Zhang: She is for it?
You: “Shethe
is for
it?” Is
that athe
question
or a statement?
2) Lecturing
class
about
importance
of doing the reading and
Ms. Zhang:
is fortoit…I
think. the articles. You also remind them that 10
coming
to classShe
ready
discuss
Ms. Xue:
I agree.
percent
of their
grade depends on the quality of their class participation.
You: You agree? Okay. With what do you agree…that Hoffman is for
Having done that, you reinitiate the discussion and hope for better results.
multicultural education?
[If this is your choice, skip to slide #??.]
[Ms. Zhang tightens her lips, wondering what you are fishing for. The Ms.
Xue falls silent and stares at her feet.]
Jack: I thought the article jumped around and never really got to a point. I
didn’t like it; it was boring.
You: Okay. Let’s see…So far, we have some who say Hoffman “is for it,”