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Susannah Davis
Lucia Elden
English 111
October 31, 2017
Speaking Little in Class
Students can have many difficulties with participating in class discussions. Students,

particularly college students, may have a hard time speaking up in open class discussions

because they always preferred to listen to people instead of talking to them. It could also be

because they were not used to having class discussions, such as being told to be silent or that

they never had to participate. For example, I was always quiet in high school classes unless the

classes had very few students that included my friends. I was also homeschooled so many of my

subjects that were at home did not include discussions with other classmates. Most of the time

I would take a few classes once a week with other high school students. Although those classes

allowed the students to ask questions or give answers, there were not too many deep

discussions. When I started going to college, however, many of the classes enforced open

discussions which was a big change for me. A problem with not talking in class is that the

students might not learn enough about the subject by not paying attention or by not trying

hard enough to understand it. The lack of class discussion participation in college is an

important problem for many students because the students will not become involved enough

in the class.

Some professors might ask, Why do some students choose not to participate in

discussions? Many students, such as myself, are used to answering or asking quick right or

wrong questions or answers, not complex ones. It is not easy to think of complex questions to
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ask when one has not had much experience asking them. Having only simple questions or

answers can be their habit of mind, the way they do things and why. In an article written by

Jack Mezirow, a professor at Columbia University, Transformative Learning: Theory to

Practice, he talks about how people have a habit of mind and how it is beneficial to change

ones perspective. In the article, Mezirow claims, Habits of mind are broad, abstract, orienting,

habitual ways of thinking, feeling and acting influenced by assumptions that constitute a set of

codes. These codes may be cultural, social, educational, economic, political, or psychological.

(87). What does he mean by habitual? Habitual is a word that is rarely used. It means to do

something constantly or do something like a habit. Mezirow could mean that students have a

habit of mind that makes them think of only simple answers. The students could be so use to

answering easy questions, that answering a more detailed, complex question is out of their way

of thinking. However, not knowing complex answers is only one of the reasons. The students

could also have a habit of mind to be quiet during a class because of other classmates

influence.

Although students can be influenced by former teachers, friends and other peers can

have an even greater influence. Students who are discouraged from others to talk, then they

will most likely become quiet. Gerald Graff, a professor of English and education, wrote an

article called Hidden Intellectualism. In the article, Graff explains that he lived in a rough

neighborhood that discouraged people to be smart. He asserts, I grew up torn, then, between

the need to prove I was smart and the fear of a beating if I proved it too well; between the need

not to jeopardize my respectable future and the need to impress the hoods (200). Graff was

influenced to be tough to survive in his neighborhood instead of being smart. However, I

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believe people should be able to overcome being scared of what others think, even if they are

ones friends. Just because one is told to act one way does not mean it is the right thing to do.

For example, if a student does not speak in class because they are afraid of what other

classmates will think, it can stop them from learning and growing. Starting to speak up more

often then they normally do can make them become more aware of what they believe or used

to think. Mezirow declares that once people reach adulthood, they need to become more

aware and critical in assessing assumptions-both those of others and those governing ones

own beliefs, values, judgements, and feelings (90). When one reaches adulthood, they should

be able to examine their actions or what they believe and change it. Once they are able to

become more self-reflective, Mezirow informs that they will be more capable of adapting to

change (91). When they are more capable of adapting to change, they become more open

minded. For Jack Mezirow, the lack of class participation in class is because of a students habit

of mind, of what others, especially friends, have told them. Friends and other peers can have a

large impact on a students habit of mind. Graff was influenced deeply by others in his

neighborhood to be tough instead of smart which kept him from learning. For Graff, students

might not participate because they grew up being discouraged to talk in discussions by their

friends.

If one has a hard time discussing in classes, especially because of others influence, how

can they overcome the influence of others in class discussions? In order to become better at

discussing in class, one has to transform their learning ways. Mezirow states that in order to

change their ways, they must first become aware of their own assumptions but in order to do

that, one needs practice (91). The students need to have school assignments, such as school
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projects, that enforces transformative learning and critical self-reflection. The more they are

challenged, the more self-reflective they become. After that, they can then start trying different

methods. One way is that the students can receive help or encouragement from their teachers.

Barry Alford, a former professor at Mid Michigan Community College, believes very deeply in

having class discussions. He wrote an article about students needing to learn their own

academic voice called Freirean Voices, Student Choices. In the article, Alford declares:

We (teachers) need to support a broader sense of literacy, one that engages students

in a community of speakers and listeners going about the messy business of thinking

through a problem rather than a community in which the problem is always already

solved by some compartmentalized application. (280)

What does he mean by compartmentalized application? Compartmentalize means to divide

into separate sections while the definition of application is to put something into operation.

When Alford states thinking through a problem rather than a community in which the

problem is always already solved by some compartmentalized application. (280), he means

that teachers should make the students think deeply of a problem that is not already solved

and separated in separate sections. Professors should encourage students to participate in

classes to help them gain their academic voice. Despite that, not all kinds of encouragement

from teachers are beneficial. Many teachers believe that if they call on a shy student enough

times, they will become comfortable in speaking out in class. The problem with this is that the

student does not always have an answer. Even if they have an answer, they might not know

how to say it. However, Graff say a student can learn to participate in large discussions outside

of class. In Hidden Intellectualism, Graff claims that their interests outside of class can still be
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educational. He states, I began to learn the rudiments of the intellectual life: how to make an

argument, weigh different kinds of evidence, move between particulars and generalizations,

summarize the views of others, and enter a conversation about ideas. (201) Graff said he was

able to learn how to do things outside of school that were still scholarly. The definition of a

rudiment is the main principles of something. Graff was able to learn the basics of an

intellectual life by discussing his interests with other people. Although, one can learn many

educational ways outside of school, they might not realize they are able to do those things in a

classroom. For example, if one enjoys arguing and discussing politics with others, it might take

them a long time to learn that they can speak that way in a class discussion. There are many

different ways how one can become better at having class discussions with others but

sometimes many wonder if it is even worth it to start participating more in class discussions.

Does a student really need to talk in class discussions? Does it really benefit the

student? Many students say that they learn better if they are talking and/or asking questions.

Barry Alford proclaims, Studentsneed to hear themselves and their fellow students think out

loud before they write. (280) He thinks that people learn better by speaking up. That way, they

can write more thoughtful academic essays by talking and learning with other classmates.

However, I dont necessarily agree with him because I feel it is easier to learn by simply

listening and paying attention to the teacher. Yet, Mezirow mentions, Self-reflection can lead

to significant personal transformations (88). Self-reflection means to analyze oneself and

perhaps change the way one thinks. He claims that it is good to change ones frame of

reference. When one examines a belief or action, it is likely they will find an even more helpful

belief or way to do they action (88). The student will consider more if the new idea is better for
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them than the old one. Even if certain students believe they learn better by listening, they

might find out that they learn better by talking. There are multiple benefits from learning how

to have class discussions, such as changing oneself and learning more from other classmates.

Students can have many different difficulties when they enter college, but a major

problem is being too quiet in class discussions. Many students can have difficulties

communicating in class because of past experiences and other peers influence on them. The

problem with not participating in class discussions is that the students do not become engaged

enough in the lesson. The students might go into the class, keep quiet, and then leave without

learning anything because they did not ask or answer questions. Nevertheless, this problem can

be resolved multiple ways, such as thinking that they can become better by asking more

questions and talking more to the classmates. Not participating in class can be a critical

problem for many college students but it can still be resolved from communication and

receiving assistance.
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Works Cited:

Mezirow, Jack. Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice. Exploring Connections: Learning

in the 21st Century. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. pp.87-91

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. "Hidden Intellectualism." They Say/I Say: The Moves that

Matter in Academic Writing. Ed. G. Graff and C. Birkenstein. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.

2010, pp. 198-205.

Alford, Barry. Freirean Voices, Student Choices. Exploring

Relationships: Globalization and Learning in the 21st Century. Pearson Learning

Solutions, 2013, pp. 279-282.