English classes should be a place where many original ideas are brought to the table. I was really disappointed to read that often times, authentic discussion is NOT talking place in classrooms, because discussion is a vital part in coming up with unique thoughts instead of regurgitating overused ones. I feel as though it is especially vital to an English classroom to have new, innovative ideas circulating because English classes should be fostering creativity instead of stifling it. Writing is not about memorization, but originality, and if our conversation within the classroom are lacking in authenticity, what we produce on paper will also be lacking.
The book mentions two different kinds of discussion, those being: authentic and recitation. Obviously, there will be times when recitation is necessary, for instance, when memorizing characters or main ideas in literature. But teachers need to remember that this tactic should only be used on occasion, and that authentic discussion should be part of a daily, or at least weekly, routine.
I know, from personal experience, that authentic discussion does not occur very often. It seems like a lot of the teachers I have had already know what they want the students to say, and in discussion will be guiding them toward whatever they are hoping the student will say. Too often, the class hour is spent with students being led into saying whatever it is the teacher is leading them to, but these are the same classroom conversations that leave my mind as soon as I exit the room. However, when I get to take part in a real, meaningful discussion, I walk away from the classroom with new ideas and cannot stop thinking about what just happened. It’s sad, actually, that this does not occur more often. The kinds of discussions that really get to me are the ones where I keep thinking of things I wish I would have said, or wish that we could continue the next time we gather together.
There was one part in the text that I would really like to address. On page five there is a quote from another source. I have to write my favorite part of this quote! It says, “…failure to think critically produces a democracy in which people talk at one another but never have genuine dialogue. In such an atmosphere, bad arguments pass for good arguments, and prejudice can all too easily masquerade as reason” (qt. in Talking in Class). I really love this quote because it seems as though people all too often simply REPEAT things they have been told, instead of questioning it, and coming up with their own opinion about it. I also think that along with “prejudice…masquerade[ing] as reason,” naivety can too easily pass for intelligence! Authenticity can only come if we are asking questions that lead to creative thinking and actually coming up with our OWN ideas!
