“My basic goal is to get everybody to make at least one comment in the first few sessions. I do this in two ways. I use a random number generator at the start to get a list of 10 or 15 names per session. After the first few sessions, I switch to purposely calling on people who haven’t said anything yet. The idea is that once you speak once, it’s a little bit easier to speak a second time — a break-the-ice idea. It’s also about habit formation; once you get into that habit of being silent in class, it’s really hard to break out of it. So I try to disrupt those habits from the beginning.”
Find more tips on empowering inclusive participation.
Shared Autumn 2023
