The Teacher's Guide to Leading Student-Centered Discussions
Talking About Texts in the Classroom
Michael S. Hale
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Elizabeth A. City
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA
Purchase
eBook
ISBN:
9781483361277
Available from
January 0001
Paperback
ISBN:
9781412906357
Available from
January 0001
Description
Facilitate dynamic classroom discussions that motivate students and deepen their understanding!
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
-Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center
"I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points."
-Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world."
-Sylvia Jackson, Principal
Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA
Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
-Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center
"I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points."
-Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world."
-Sylvia Jackson, Principal
Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA
Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
Contents
Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
Part I: Getting Started: The "Science" of Leading Discussions
- 1. The Fundamentals of Facilitating
- Why Have Student Centered Discussions?
- Essential Ingredients of a Student-Centered, Text-based Discussion, aka “Seminar”
- The Architecture of a Discussion
- Frequently Asked Questions and Tips for Beginners
- Tips for Beginners
- References
PART II: Becoming a Skillful Facilitator: The “Art and Magic” of Leading Discussions
- 2. Safety
- Recognizing Safety Issues
- Tone of the Discussion
- Atmosphere of Safety and Respect
- Creating a Culture of Inquiry
- The Danger of Sarcasm
- Feedback During Seminar
- A Climate of Respect
- 3. Authentic Participation
- Recognizing Authentic Participation Issues
- Attention-Seeking Participation
- Text-Focused Participation
- Reflective Activity
- Assessing Pauses in Conversation
- Facilitator is Not the Focus
- 4. Challenge
- Recognizing Challenge Issues
- Assessing Understanding
- Off-Topic Conversation
- Repetitive Ideas and Statements
- Idea-Hopping
- Challenging Ideas
- 5. Ownership
- Recognizing Ownership Issues
- Avoiding Anarchy
- Facilitator Releasing Control
- Student-Driven Discussions
- 6. The Seminar Decision-Making Model
- Steps of the Decision-Making Process
- Identifying the Issue
- Identifying Possible Causes
- Match to Primary Fulcrum
- Identifying and Applying Possible Strategies
- Determine Effectiveness of Strategy and Next Steps
PART III: Improving Student-Centered Discussions
- 7. Strategies for Ongoing Improvement Across All the Fulcrums
- Reflection
- Seminar Mapping
- Teaching the Fulcrums to Students
- Fishbowl
- Seminar Folders
- Videotape
Assessment
- Peer Planning
- Peer Coaching
- Case Study
- 8. Strategies for Improving Specific Fulcrums
- Safety
- Seminar Ground Rules
- Assigned Seats
- Yellow Card, Red Card
- Ejection
- Time-out
- Write Before You Talk
- Role Play
- Stop and Try Again
- Building Safety Outside Seminar
- Role Play
- Have Seminars More Frequently
- Ask The Students
- Authentic Participation
- Heads-Up Question
- Pair-Share
- Round Robin
- Inviting Quiet People to Speak
- Reflective Writing
- Follow-up Writing
- Positive Reinforcement
- Connections
- Question Again
- Pair Share/Write During Seminar
- Silence
- Map Connections
- Challenge
- Where in the Text?
- Ask Follow-Up Questions
- Paraphrase and Probe
- Pair-Share/Write during Seminar
- Pre-Seminar
- Choosing a Different Type of Text
- Good Questions
- Ownership
- Relinquish the Reins
- Self-assessment
- Wait Time
- Favorite Text Phenomenon
- Eye Contact
- Don’t Be Afraid—Drive
- Turn-Taking
- Look Around the Circle
- Resource A – Training Guides
- Using the Fulcrums for Professional Development
- Working with Groups of Teachers
- New Facilitators
- Experienced Facilitators
- Working on Your Own/Working with Individual Teachers
- Individual Teachers
- Resource B – Reproducibles
Index
Index
Description
Facilitate dynamic classroom discussions that motivate students and deepen their understanding!
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
-Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center
"I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points."
-Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world."
-Sylvia Jackson, Principal
Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA
Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
-Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center
"I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points."
-Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world."
-Sylvia Jackson, Principal
Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA
Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
Contents
Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
Part I: Getting Started: The "Science" of Leading Discussions
- 1. The Fundamentals of Facilitating
- Why Have Student Centered Discussions?
- Essential Ingredients of a Student-Centered, Text-based Discussion, aka “Seminar”
- The Architecture of a Discussion
- Frequently Asked Questions and Tips for Beginners
- Tips for Beginners
- References
PART II: Becoming a Skillful Facilitator: The “Art and Magic” of Leading Discussions
- 2. Safety
- Recognizing Safety Issues
- Tone of the Discussion
- Atmosphere of Safety and Respect
- Creating a Culture of Inquiry
- The Danger of Sarcasm
- Feedback During Seminar
- A Climate of Respect
- 3. Authentic Participation
- Recognizing Authentic Participation Issues
- Attention-Seeking Participation
- Text-Focused Participation
- Reflective Activity
- Assessing Pauses in Conversation
- Facilitator is Not the Focus
- 4. Challenge
- Recognizing Challenge Issues
- Assessing Understanding
- Off-Topic Conversation
- Repetitive Ideas and Statements
- Idea-Hopping
- Challenging Ideas
- 5. Ownership
- Recognizing Ownership Issues
- Avoiding Anarchy
- Facilitator Releasing Control
- Student-Driven Discussions
- 6. The Seminar Decision-Making Model
- Steps of the Decision-Making Process
- Identifying the Issue
- Identifying Possible Causes
- Match to Primary Fulcrum
- Identifying and Applying Possible Strategies
- Determine Effectiveness of Strategy and Next Steps
PART III: Improving Student-Centered Discussions
- 7. Strategies for Ongoing Improvement Across All the Fulcrums
- Reflection
- Seminar Mapping
- Teaching the Fulcrums to Students
- Fishbowl
- Seminar Folders
- Videotape
Assessment
- Peer Planning
- Peer Coaching
- Case Study
- 8. Strategies for Improving Specific Fulcrums
- Safety
- Seminar Ground Rules
- Assigned Seats
- Yellow Card, Red Card
- Ejection
- Time-out
- Write Before You Talk
- Role Play
- Stop and Try Again
- Building Safety Outside Seminar
- Role Play
- Have Seminars More Frequently
- Ask The Students
- Authentic Participation
- Heads-Up Question
- Pair-Share
- Round Robin
- Inviting Quiet People to Speak
- Reflective Writing
- Follow-up Writing
- Positive Reinforcement
- Connections
- Question Again
- Pair Share/Write During Seminar
- Silence
- Map Connections
- Challenge
- Where in the Text?
- Ask Follow-Up Questions
- Paraphrase and Probe
- Pair-Share/Write during Seminar
- Pre-Seminar
- Choosing a Different Type of Text
- Good Questions
- Ownership
- Relinquish the Reins
- Self-assessment
- Wait Time
- Favorite Text Phenomenon
- Eye Contact
- Don’t Be Afraid—Drive
- Turn-Taking
- Look Around the Circle
- Resource A – Training Guides
- Using the Fulcrums for Professional Development
- Working with Groups of Teachers
- New Facilitators
- Experienced Facilitators
- Working on Your Own/Working with Individual Teachers
- Individual Teachers
- Resource B – Reproducibles
Index
Index
Reviews
The Teacher's Guide to Leading Student-Centered Discussions
Talking About Texts in the Classroom
April 2006 | 136 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback | 01/02/2026 | 9781412906357 | $37.95 |
| Lifetime | 01/02/2026 | 9781483361277 | $35.00 |
Facilitate dynamic classroom discussions that motivate students and deepen their understanding!
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
-Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center
"I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points."
-Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world."
-Sylvia Jackson, Principal
Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA
Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
-Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center
"I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points."
-Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair
Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world."
-Sylvia Jackson, Principal
Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA
Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
Table Of Contents:
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- About the Authors
- Part I: Getting Started: The "Science" of Leading Discussions
- 1. The Fundamentals of Facilitating
- Why Have Student Centered Discussions?
- Essential Ingredients of a Student-Centered, Text-based Discussion, aka “Seminar”
- The Architecture of a Discussion
- Frequently Asked Questions and Tips for Beginners
- Tips for Beginners
- References
- PART II: Becoming a Skillful Facilitator: The “Art and Magic” of Leading Discussions
- 2. Safety
- Recognizing Safety Issues
- Tone of the Discussion
- Atmosphere of Safety and Respect
- Creating a Culture of Inquiry
- The Danger of Sarcasm
- Feedback During Seminar
- A Climate of Respect
- 3. Authentic Participation
- Recognizing Authentic Participation Issues
- Attention-Seeking Participation
- Text-Focused Participation
- Reflective Activity
- Assessing Pauses in Conversation
- Facilitator is Not the Focus
- 4. Challenge
- Recognizing Challenge Issues
- Assessing Understanding
- Off-Topic Conversation
- Repetitive Ideas and Statements
- Idea-Hopping
- Challenging Ideas
- 5. Ownership
- Recognizing Ownership Issues
- Avoiding Anarchy
- Facilitator Releasing Control
- Student-Driven Discussions
- 6. The Seminar Decision-Making Model
- Steps of the Decision-Making Process
- Identifying the Issue
- Identifying Possible Causes
- Match to Primary Fulcrum
- Identifying and Applying Possible Strategies
- Determine Effectiveness of Strategy and Next Steps
- PART III: Improving Student-Centered Discussions
- 7. Strategies for Ongoing Improvement Across All the Fulcrums
- Reflection
- Seminar Mapping
- Teaching the Fulcrums to Students
- Fishbowl
- Seminar Folders
- Videotape
- Assessment
- Peer Planning
- Peer Coaching
- Case Study
- 8. Strategies for Improving Specific Fulcrums
- Safety
- Seminar Ground Rules
- Assigned Seats
- Yellow Card, Red Card
- Ejection
- Time-out
- Write Before You Talk
- Role Play
- Stop and Try Again
- Building Safety Outside Seminar
- Role Play
- Have Seminars More Frequently
- Ask The Students
- Authentic Participation
- Heads-Up Question
- Pair-Share
- Round Robin
- Inviting Quiet People to Speak
- Reflective Writing
- Follow-up Writing
- Positive Reinforcement
- Connections
- Question Again
- Pair Share/Write During Seminar
- Silence
- Map Connections
- Challenge
- Where in the Text?
- Ask Follow-Up Questions
- Paraphrase and Probe
- Pair-Share/Write during Seminar
- Pre-Seminar
- Choosing a Different Type of Text
- Good Questions
- Ownership
- Relinquish the Reins
- Self-assessment
- Wait Time
- Favorite Text Phenomenon
- Eye Contact
- Don’t Be Afraid—Drive
- Turn-Taking
- Look Around the Circle
- Resource A – Training Guides
- Using the Fulcrums for Professional Development
- Working with Groups of Teachers
- New Facilitators
- Experienced Facilitators
- Working on Your Own/Working with Individual Teachers
- Individual Teachers
- Resource B – Reproducibles
- Index
Recent Product Reviews:
"I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to teach students to improve their listening, critical thinking, social, or college success skills."
Jennifer Lerner, Northern Virginia Community College, NACADA Journal, Spring 2007
"A strong student-centered discussion is a teacher's dream - a classroom of students energized by intellectual exchange. That's why Hale and City's book is such a gift. This book is packed with strategies for facilitating great discussions. Whether you are new to student-centered discussions or an old-pro, their book will help you think strategically about how to take your classroom to the next level."
Eric Westendorf, Founding Director, The National Teaching Academy
"As a teacher and teacher educator, I have led hundreds of student-centered discussions and in reading this book I discovered new ideas and strategies that will help me improve the quality of my own classroom discussions. I believe there are strategies in this book for all teachers, novice to expert."
Jennifer R. Mangrum, Coordinator of Elementary Education Initiative, North Carolina State University
"There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping our students become civil as well as thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers themselves are thoughtful professionals, capable of making the subtle decisions discussed in these pages. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think."
Terry Roberts, Director, National Paideia Center
"Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world ...the book provides good strategies for helping teachers facilitate meaningful academic discussions in the classroom setting."
Sylvia Jackson, Principal, Adolfo Camarillo High School, Camarillo, CA