The Silence of the Freshmen

I teach two sections of English 1001 back to back on Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays. My ten o'clock section is funny, bright, and engaged. It's a pleasure to spend time with them because they're not afraid to speak and, therefore, to learn. They make jokes, ask questions, raise their hand to comment, etc. My nine o'clock class, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly difficult. I might even say excruciating. They all act as though speaking aloud in class would make them shatter into a million pieces or perhaps spontaneously burst into flames. I spend the whole first week and a half doing getting to you know you exercises - the same things I did with the ten o'clock bunch - and yet it all seems to be for naught. I can feel them calcifying right in front of me. A class doesn't really develop its personality until about three or four weeks in. After that, it's very hard to shift the dynamic. My fear is that this particular bunch will develop into the class of quiet resistance - not talking will simply become what they do.

I get that being a freshman is scary and that some of these students have spent high school slumping down, hoping the teacher won't call their name. I guess what's frustrating me is feeling like my tried-and-true techniques for getting people to loosen up and feel comfortable aren't working. I'll admit I pride myself (too much) on being a welcoming, non-threatening teacher and on creating a classroom environment in which everyone feels safe to participate. I know not every student is going to enjoy English and that not everyone will necessarily succeed. But when an entire class seems to be pulling away and resisting even the most basic efforts at class participation, it bothers me a lot.

I've had this happen before - just not recently. In the past, I kind of locked-up and got resentful and taskmaster-ish about it. Needless to say, that doesn't work. It just adds to the atmosphere of weirdness and tension. Not getting overly wrapped up in whether or not my students speak in class is a good tack to take. If they do, good for them. If they don't, bad for them - but not a world-ender for me. It's important that I not take it personally.

But how do I make them speak? If making comments, asking questions, and engaging verbally with class material is an important part of them learning (which it is) and a crucial component of their grade (which it is), what can I do that would actually encourage them?

* Know their names. It's easy to remember the names of the four students who always talk, but what about the other twenty who don't? I'm a big fan of being able to call people by their names and ask them questions - not to put them on the spot, necessarily, but to have a conversation with them. Knowing what to call them and which Courtney (4 in this class) and which Samantha (2) is which helps.

* Help them to know what to say. Just asking, "What did you guys think about the essay?" works in some classes but not in others. With students like these, it's good to narrow my questions, specify what I'm looking for, and model potential answers. I think most students have some kind of response bubbling in their brains - they just don't know how to phrase it or whether or not it's an acceptable thing to say.

* Let there be silence. There has to be a balance, of course, but generally I don't think there's anything wrong with letting the students feel the pressure of a little bit of quiet time. I'm not a teacher that has to fill every second with sound. If I ask a question, it's okay with me if there are a few seconds of silence afterwards. The students will either perk up and answer or they won't.

* Don't freak. I've freaked out on students before. The first semester I ever taught (lo, those many years ago back in 2000) I lashed into my students because 95% of them had failed to do an assignment. I gave them a heated lecture about how they were wasting their time and mine and then I excused them and told them not to come back unless they were ready to be students. They were more dutiful about getting stuff in after that but the mood of the class had changed and never really returned to its pre-freakout levels of friendliness and comfort. I know that, for some of them, I'll forever be that uptight grad student who lost it in class. Must avoid in future.

Anyway, this is just what's on my mind this morning. I figured many of you would welcome something other than a baby countdown. I'm sure a meditation on how to coax out frightened freshmen was exactly what you were hoping for instead.

P.S. For the record, Suzanne is now at 37 weeks. Contractions but no progress.

P.P.S. I know that I haven't posted anything about my weight in weeks. There's a reason for that. No change whatsoever. 234.5 this morning.