Here are some ideas on the art of participating in discussions. Whether you're a 'beginner' at this craft (no one is entirely), or very experienced, it's worth reflecting on what makes a good discussion. To some extent, the qualities that make a good discussion vary from discipline to discipline. These comments are shaped by the fact that much of my experience is in discussions in the social sciences. Nonetheless, many of the ideas here are of general importance in other settings including ones outside the classroom. Obviously, discussions also vary according to the characteristics and goals of their members, including especially the leader, if there is one. Most of these comments assume you are 'ready' for the discussion!! You've developed some mental involvement with the text or other subject matter: you have not just read the assigned text, but tried to make some sense of it.
1) You may stay "close" to the text. This is usually safe, and can be interesting & important. Trying to figure out what the author was saying is a crucial process in discovering what you think about it. These tactics aid in understanding the author.
2) You may move "away" from the text. But, be
sensitive to whether your comment may diverge so far from the current discussion as to really belong to a different occasion.
1) Relax and let your mind unfold with whatever part of the discussion you're engaged with. You don't have to talk to be participating. Discussions are ideally like enjoyable conversations - you come away feeling refreshed, excited and expanded.
2) Make the discussion work for YOU ! ! Why else are you here? If there was some point to the reading, or the assignment, you're being cheated if you let the class time pass without being satisfied it has advanced your relationship to that point. At least you can get clearer about what it is you DON'T understand! You have to take responsibility for yourself to do even this. If you speak up, you may find that others had the same sort of confusion. If you want to talk, make a place for yourself. Normally this should not be difficult, but if others are jumping in too fast, raise your hand. A discussion leader who completely ignores that should be approached afterwards and told of the problem; it's not at all reasonable to essentially require all students to be extremely competitive. But you may want to become better at being assertive, even to learn how to barge in when nothing else works! You can learn by watching; it's a 'fine art.' Identify the pauses and talk then. Here's another way to do it: when you know what you want to say, shift around visibly in your seat, and maybe grunt a little - 'uhhh' - directing it toward the center of conversation. This gets people's attention and discourages most others from expecting to talk next. Then, just as the person dominating the conversation gets to the end of a phrase, make another grunt, and a hand gesture. This gets attention again, and produces a brief gap into which you must immediately jump.
3) Listen carefully. Good discussion arises when people listen to each other; it's more likely that their next thoughts will have some continuity (or important DIScontinuity!) with what was just said, and the discussion ma \y attain a life of its own. By listening carefully, you may be able to tell what else the person who just spoke needs to address to make their point clearer: asking them about that can help their thinking, as well as your own, and the overall quality of the discussion. Avoid 'understanding' someone else too quickly; pigeon-holing their idea helps neither you nor them. Listening is important, but on the other hand sometimes you need to let your mind wander around the topic to find out what YOU think of what's being said, and then re-engage with the discussion.
4) Talk carefully. That DOESN'T necessarily mean rehearsing. It might mean something more like "pretend you are talking to someone who's listening carefully" (hopefully everyone is). Usually you don't know exactly what you're going to say until the words are out of your mouth. Accepting this, you can be free of having to think through exactly what you'll say before you speak up. It's probably more important to follow your own thoughts as you talk, and modify things so that you feel that what you've said is what you meant to say. It DOESN'T have to come out just right the first time. And, it's ok, if not optimal, for it to end in a muddle. If you've worked on it, and that's still how it ends, it's probably a true expression of the state of things! However, when talking you need to be sensitive to whether you are rambling on without a good feeling of what it is you intend to say. Without that feeling, you won't know where to stop.
5) You may choose to ASSERT something, or to move things forward by QUESTIONING something. Both are important. If you want to ASSERT something, you may feel comfortable sticking to what you are reasonably confident about. People may ask you to defend what you say. A 'safe' atmosphere for discussion is one where you can take greater risks - where you don't fear being wrong. But it's not fun to try to impress people and fail at it. If you're not confident, or it doesn't feel 'safe,' a good move is to ask a question- especially one that expresses your uncertainty! If you're in the mood (a fun mood to have), take a conscious risk: say something a bit outrageous, but still importantly connected to the discussion. (Don't overdo this last tactic - it gets boring and stupid, especially if it's too random and unrelated. It may also be wise to indicate when you're being somewhat playful: sincerity is usually assumed.)
6) 'Depersonalize' things. If you seem to be getting caught up emotionally in what you or someone else is saying, perhaps you are getting too identified with it, or with its opposite. Try to see what's happening as primarily dealing with IDEAS which ANYONE could potentially have. The important thing is not WHO says or thinks something, but whether WHAT they are saying makes sense. In order to learn, we need to give each other, and ourselves, PLENTY of freedom to try and test different ideas, without getting too emotionally identified with them. This is not to say that our personal relation to ideas is not extremely important - it can be a VERY personal thing. Otherwise, why would we care about thinking? Being able to examine the nature of THAT relationship is also very important: It's helpful to have a few ways of being related to your thoughts. Sometimes you and they coexist well. Sometimes you feel "conviction." Sometimes it helps to be able to stand back (like I was saying above). Sometimes all one can do is to realize that "here's a place where I simply can't have distance from my thoughts right now, even though I might not REALLY be sure of what I really think," and then decide whether you have the composure to get into a discussion, or would rather give yourself a break from what might turn out to be stressful.
7) Stand back and look at the qualities of the discussion itself. Whether the discussion is going well or not well, you can learn a lot by watching what happens. Discussions have to 'grow'; they can stand only so much external tinkering without breaking down. But corrective efforts from within the discussion may not change a big problem, such as a consistent pattern of disproportionate participation. Sometimes there are observations which can be made, or strategic 'repairs' in the communication process which can set things on a better track. But not always. Some discussions are underlain by important (or, often, simply OLD) political or interpersonal differences. This factor can make quality discussion nearly impossible. But conversely, discussions are supposed to be conducted according to SOCIAL NORMS which can actually enhance the possibility of talking about topics ridden with such differences. These norms include: affording others the opportunity to be heard; courtesies such as turn-taking; agreeing to disagree; and attacking the idea and not the person expressing it. Following these rules may not settle the political differences, but they change the process and increase the chances of new understandings. And THAT may be more significant than the old issues themselves. (As an aside, conversations and discussions are important topics in social theory and in current research in linguistics and educational psychology.)
8) Realize that discussions are human - imperfect and magical! They are complex, dynamic, sensitive, delicate, powerful, unpredictable, and full of risks imposed by all the strengths and weaknesses and good and bad habits of the human participants. So don't expect them to meet a high standard every time. Still, aim to learn to find your unique roles in making each one the best it can be.