Revision of Language: Strategy: Miscommunication

During writing studio, it is possible that occasionally a student will attempt to monoplize the session by using more than his/her allotted time, or by consistently steering conversation back to him/herself. This student may even interrupt others or dismiss others' contributions.

This behavior, if left unchecked, can severely damage the group dynamic. Studio seeks to foster an atmosphere in which students feel included, feel safe enough to take learning risks, and feel that their voices are respected. However, if a facilitator allows one student's voice to dominate, other studio participants may feel alientated, as if their viewpoints are not valued. Thus, they may be tempted to alienate the group, deciding to "check out" since they feel as if their voices are not respected anyway.

To help facilitators establish and maintain a positive group dynamic, strategies have been devised to help you when you encounter students who seek to monopolize studio time.

An important key to remember when responding to students who monopolize studio time is to avoid alienating anyone.

A. Acknowledge what the monopolizing student has said. (For example, "That's an excellent point/question; I can hear your passion; Seems as if you have thought about this from several angles." )
B. To redirect the monopolizing student, it may be helpful to ask the student to write a few notes about the points he/she have been making. This will give the student time to reflect, will give others time to interject, and will provide you with a few moments to decide how you will proceed (For example, you could say "What I want you to do is jot down 3 questions about your idea that you can ask the group about later." Or "List three groups of people who may disagree with your point of view.")
C. To include others, examine the body language of the other students. Is someone nodding his/her head, leaning forward, or looking frustrated? This may be a student who wishes to contribute to the discussion. Nothing is wrong with pulling this student into the conversation. You could use phrases such as, "Marcus, I see you nodding? How do you feel about what Jan was just saying?"
When seeking to include others, it may be helpful to poll students. This is a less threatening way for students to enter into the conversation. You could say something such as, "Give a thumbs up if you have encountered the same problem as Jan (the student who was monopolizing). After polling students, you could then invite individuals to expand on the poll question.

Note: Another key is to examine the motivation of a student who is monopolizing the conversation. Is he just passionate about the topic? Is she frustrated? Is she attempting to silence voices? Listen actively for clues that may indicate the student's motive and respond accordingly, using language you deem appropriate for the situation.

GOALS FOR STUDIO PROGRAM

1. Help students have an authentic learning experience

2. Help students feel like they have an extensive support network for transitioning to college

3. Help students have a "safe" place where they don't feel supressed


* I interpret students using everything for their advancement as having the ability to reflect on how they can apply all that they experience in studio into their learning processes. If they set their own goals based on their personal assessment of their needs, students will develop in a way that makes them feel liberated instead of "put upon". They'd not only be able to accept, reject, question, integrate all that happens in studio but also appy that active learning to their academic loves.