Quiet in the Back: Facilitating Successful, Safe Discussions

“Anyone? Anyone?”

Who recalls that relatable moment in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” when the teacher tries to engage an uninterested classroom of students, leaning back in chairs, gazing out windows?

Janel Anderson, assistant professor of education leadership and administration, knows this feeling all too well. She also knows there’s a better way.

In September, Anderson led a packed room of faculty, staff and students through her presentation “Quiet in the Back,” a discussion, ironically, about how to facilitate better discussions.

“Discussion is something that can be a challenge for anyone in almost any context,” Anderson said.

She then posed the question: What are the most common issues that arise when you lead discussions?

The most repeated answers: one or two students dominating the space, fear of judgement from peers and inflexible thinking. After acknowledging those reasons, Anderson flipped the script.

“How many of these examples place the student in a position of responsibility for why things go wrong,” she said. “We probably don’t spend enough time talking about our preparedness.”

“We have to focus on the way our planning can actually prevent harm, particularly for our students who feel underrepresented and for whose voices are most often marginalized.”

Anderson pulled up Gonzaga’s demographics, asking: What does this data suggest about who may feel safe and invited into discussion at GU?

Comments followed a common thread – students who see their own identities represented in faculty and classmates are more likely to participate. If they don’t, there is added pressure to represent an entire identity or marginalized group in their answers.

With this data in mind, she said, “As predominantly white, cis-gender, English speaking faculty we need to be really thoughtful about how our  way of knowing, how our way of experiencing the world is so privileged in these discussions.”

Among the messages Anderson hoped to get across to her audience was for faculty to understand that for  students to succeed and willingly participate , high psychological safety is required.

To that end, Anderson pointed out it is important discussions aren’t too comfortable. In addition to classrooms needing to be places  of high safety there also must be high standards. It’s okay for students to sit in uncomfortable silence, if it gives them a chance to form an answer they’re excited to share.

So how can faculty members create productive discomfort in that safe environment?

Anderson shared four tips:

• Design moments to connect: Build relationships with students by learning names, connect using ice breakers and open-ended questions
• Provide time to think: Allow students to pause and reflect before asking for an answer 
• Provide time to test ideas: Encourage students to share with a neighbor before sharing with the group, filtering potential harm 
• Ask BIG questions: Give students a sense of confidence that they can answer the questions asked of them

At the very least, facilitating a successful discussion means avoiding the fate of Ferris Bueller’s teacher. But at its core, a well-prepared, safe discussion space can mean the difference between unintentionally imparting harm on a student and fostering high quality engagement.

Anderson ended the event emphasizing why faculty should strive to get it right.

“We need students to learn from each other, to hear other points of view and learn from them,” she said. “That’s the essence of the discussion pedagogy.”