Why Discussion

I have benefitted from both participating and substitute-teaching in Jewish religious settings where lively discussion is the central focus of instruction. Students are encouraged to vigorously ask questions of texts and teachers, and not feel afraid to voice disagreement, skepticism, confusion, or hearty agreement. In such an active learning environment, God Himself is not immune to tough questioning. Taking great inspiration from these experiences, as well as Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970) and Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, I bring a discussion-based approach to my secular teaching.

I believe that a discussion focus has created measurable positive results in my world religions course at a public secondary high school. Teaching about religion requires teaching a number of concepts usually unknown to students and these must be discussed, often extensively, in order for students to fully comprehend them.

Lectures, while important at times, do not allow us to see into the minds of students as discussion does. Listening to the sound of our voices, as teachers, may be comforting to us -- but we should consider how by doing this, we rob ourselves of opportunities to view learning from the students' perspectives. How do I truly know if a student understands a concept if we have not had a discussion? How do I know if I am looking at a concept in all of its complexity if I have only been listening to myself talk?

With this blog, I aim to share how I go about establishing a discussion-based classroom, in my World Religions, Latin American and African studies courses.

In rabbinic lore, God loses a debate with His children who are hard at study. Rather than getting angry or feeling useless, he laughs -- and as I picture it -- until the tears well up in His eyes. Sometimes the best teaching means knowing when to get out of the way. If God can do it, so can we. :-)