by: Thomas Larder, former Film Studies TA
As a teaching assistant involved in leading discussion groups, it is inevitable that you will come across some students who are readily and eager to participate, while others will be shy and avoid any chance to engage in discussion. It is sometimes easier to allow the more confident speakers to respond time after time, but this can lead to stale and repetitive discussions. As a discussion leader, your primary objective should be to encourage diverse viewpoints by drawing out the different voices and perspectives from the students in your discussion group. While I know this is not an easy task, it is important to note that getting severely shy students to engage is a challenge that most teaching assistants will experience.
Consider these tips when you come across the shy ones:
• Emphasize the importance of contribution from day one.
University careers are about more than taking notes, paying attention and writing the exams. Asking students to introduce themselves during the first week is a fairly common form of icebreaker, but sometimes it is the only time a shy student will be heard from. Instead of just having them recite their name, academic major, and hometown, consider throwing in a couple of more challenging questions. Questions like “what is your favorite film or TV show?” are okay, but a question that could create a discussion all on its own such as “where do you prefer to see films:, on a big screen or on your laptop?” may actually help insecure students by distracting themselves from their fear of public speaking. Avoid anything too personal, and make sure you engage with people in a positive way regarding their responses.
• Give students time to consider a response.
Shy students will seldom leap into discussions, and because they are nervous about their responses, they need time to consider an answer. I like to encourage the group to write down their considerations before speaking. It helps shy students sometimes to be able to look down at what they have written as they respond, and the preparation time helps to instill confidence and clarity. Most students benefit from this, because sometimes they will forget a point they had wanted to make before it is their time to speak.
• Encourage students to ask questions to the group.
Instead of just asking “does anyone have any questions?” have every student come up with a couple of questions about the material before they come to tutorial each week. When group begins, ask some of the shy students what questions they came up with, and then write them down on the board (or projection). These questions can then become a starting point for the discussion and the shy student will have participated in a very risk-free way. Asking a question may be safer than volunteering an opinion, but it is equally vital to generating discussion.
• Occasionally, have students work in pairs.
Groups larger than two can tend to be unproductive, but groups of two can have benefits, particularly for the shy student. In these situations, it is best to have prepared a handout or a very specific assignment, which can generate discussion between the two. I like to encourage all the partners to keep their answers and ideas between the two of them, and I let them know that later they will share their conclusions with the rest of the discussion group. In this case, I don’t feel it necessary that both students speak to the entire group, but I do move around the class to make sure that the pairs are engaged in conversations. Often, two shy students will end up working together and when it comes to sharing final thoughts with the group, I would call upon the shy students first. Here they another person to lean on, and frequently there is less apprehension in their responses. I prefer to use pair exercises sparingly, just because they can hinder the dynamic of the discussion group, which is what you are trying to develop, if they are relied upon too frequently.
• Begin discussions informally each week.
One reason I find it beneficial to arrive a few moments before group begins is that students are more likely to want to engage in conversation before group begins, when they are just chatting with friends. As a TA, this can be a time to get to know some of your student’s other interests, and to take a moment to talk to them. Shy students may have less difficulty speaking about something outside of class that interests them and while the room is still buzzing. This is a great time to attempt to converse with shy students, and to do so in a way that still brings others into the discussion. This style may provide a healthy segue into the actual discussion, but at the very least, it will continue your emphasis on relaxed and healthy conversation. It will also get your shy students talking before discussion even begins.