Thread by @JessicaCalarco

For #highered instructors, getting students to talk can be a real challenge, especially in big classes. So I thought I'd share some ideas for helping students (especially #FirstGen and students of color) feel comfortable sharing in class.
#AcademicTwitter
jessicacalarco.com/tips-tricks/20…

The blog post above has the full run-down, but to briefly summarize:

1) Set the tone early. On the first day, don't just review the syllabus. Start with a mini lesson that gets students thinking and talking and sharing.

2) Start with low stakes. Ask brainstorming questions that produce a list of responses and don't require knowledge of the readings.

3) Give students in-class discussion materials. Blog posts and video clips work great as concrete, culturally-relevant touchstones for discussion.

4) Don't worry about looking stupid. Sharing relevant personal stories is a great way to show students how to engage with the material. And if they're funny or embarrassing stories, that's even better.

5) Don't make students worry about looking stupid. I never cold-call students - I don't want them to be afraid to come to class. If I ask a question and no one raises their hand, that's on me. It was probably a bad question. Or I didn't do enough to prepare them to respond.

6) Large group discussions work best with open-ended questions. If you want to gauge whether students know a single correct answer (especially in a large class), use a polling tool like @tophat.

7) Make students feel seen. Learn their names. Validate their responses. Reiterate what each student shares and gently redirect/clarify if the point is off-topic, unclear, or problematic in some way. Then connect each student's point to the larger discussion before moving on.

And finally, thanks to @nasrat for encouraging me to put this together!