The Quiet Classroom: Devise a Useful Strategy to Break the Student "Code of Silence"
by
Mark Wojcik

At times, students are reluctant to speak in class. They may not volunteer comments. They may sit silently when a teacher asks a question. They may save their own questions about the material and assignments until after class, when they can ask the professor privately. Some students may not ask questions because they feel isolated and unwelcome in the classroom for any number of reasons, including race, gender, sexual orientation, or their national origin. This essay deals not with factors that might affect individual students but with factors affecting the entire class.

Although all classes are quiet from time to time, some classes can develop a "Code of Silence" that continues for several sessions or even several weeks. In response to this situation, a number of colleagues have had to devise useful ways to stimulate discussion in classes. The ideas presented here are by no means comprehensive. They may, however, offer useful suggestions to those who find themselves standing in front of a quiet classroom.

Minimize Fear

Students undoubtedly feel a great deal of anxiety in their law classes. Some students are afraid to ask questions that might make them look foolish in front of classmates. They will not ask teachers to explain words they do not understand; they will not ask follow-up questions when they do not understand an answer to another student's question. I find that students will take more risks when I treat each question with respect, just as I treat each student with respect. Sometimes I will rephrase a question before answering it, such as by saying, "if I understand what is behind your question, what you really want to know is . . . ."

I find that this approach is often appropriate for smaller classes. One colleague strongly disagrees with this approach, however. He would not rephrase the question but would instead keep asking the student to rephrase the question until the student "got it right." By forcing the student to rephrase the question, he hopes to help the student develop skills that will be useful before judges and in other high-pressure situations.

Do Something Positive

A teacher can create a positive learning environment simply by saying something encouraging after a student asks a question. Professor Jan Levine suggests that the responses can range from a nod and a smile to saying, "Yes, that's a great question!"

Minimize Competition

Some students will ask questions only after class because they are competitive. They do not want their fellow students to enjoy the benefits of the teacher's answers. I thwart this behavior in two ways. First, if I answer a question after class I will write down that question and repeat it at the start of the next class meeting. I might introduce the question by saying "someone asked me an interesting question yesterday . . ." or "you might be wondering whether . . . ." By asking the question openly, no student obtains an advantage over others.

Second, if a particularly competitive student will ask questions only after class, I tell that student to ask the question at the start of the next class. By doing this once or twice, the particularly competitive student will learn to ask questions that will benefit everyone. A particularly good question will often stimulate questions from other students (as will praise from the teacher).

Maximize Opportunity

I begin each class with the words: "Are there any questions before we continue?" If students have questions from the previous lesson, the start of class is often the best time to answer them. If there are no questions, we continue with the assignment for that day. By inviting questions at the start of each class, students learn that they will always have an opportunity to ask what is on their mind. A regular time for asking questions may also minimize the "teacher's pet" syndrome, where one or two particular students ask so many questions that they may build resentment in other students. When there is a "teacher's pet," other students may refuse to ask questions lest they be similarly branded by their peers.

Refresh Memories

Professor Michael Closen suggests that the beginning of class also include a brief review of important points raised during the previous class. He found that this review helped to refresh memories and stimulate questions about the material from the previous class.

Try a Cliffhanger

Taking a cue from soap operas, Professor Susan Marie Connor suggests asking a question at the end of class for students to consider and discuss at the start of the next class. She leaves her students in suspense: "What should the plaintiff's attorney do to save his client?" By informing students ahead of time that they must discuss a particular question, my colleague finds few problems with quiet classrooms.

Maximize the Environment

Sometimes students fall into a mid-semester lull. This may be attributable to the stress that many students experience in response to the unrelenting pressure of law school studies. In classrooms where I can move the tables, I sometimes find that merely rearranging the furniture will dramatically increase participation. Rather than placing desks to face the blackboard, for example, we might push tables into the center of the room to form a giant conference table. Sometimes I can frame a research problem as if it were being discussed in a law firm partnership meeting. At other times, starting with one student and then proceeding around the circle for additional comments will at least get every student talking. Rearranging the furniture improves class discussions for the remainder of the semester – even when we return to the original placement. In rooms where I cannot move the furniture, I may ask students to change their seats and to sit near someone whom they do not know well. This usually has the same ultimate effect as rearranging the furniture. The important factor is to change the classroom atmosphere. When a change is made, it should signal to the students that silence is unacceptable and that you are imposing the change to increase the students' participation.

Try To Be Quiet

Professor Jan Levine notes that the hardest period for a teacher is the time between asking a question and getting an answer. It may feel like forever, he reminds us, but it seems far longer for the teacher than it does for the students. Professor Levine notes that often the silence may happen because the students are thinking (while the professor already knows the answers to most of the questions). Professor Levine also says that if we show students that we really want them to answer, and that we will wait for them, they will speak. He believes that this tactic is most effective early in the semester, but it can work anytime. Professor Levine says that we can even tell our students that we will wait for as long as we have to but that they are the ones who must break the silence.

Rephrase the Question

Professor Elise Hiller of the Lawyering Faculty at Albany Law School reminds us that occasionally we law teachers need to rethink the questions we are asking. If our question is too open-ended or too vague, our students will have a difficult time answering. She reminds us that a single question, aptly phrased, may open a floodgate of discussion. Such discussions usually brand the classroom as one where open dialogue can occur.

Conclusion: Ask Others for Help.

Because teaching styles and environments vary, the above suggestions may not work for all teachers in all circumstances. Other teachers will have additional advice, although they may not share their suggestions unless specifically asked to do so. Any teacher who thinks that a class is too quiet should ask colleagues for suggestions about how to improve student participation. Remaining silent yourself is no way to cure the silence of your students.