"What we're doing is really negotiating the meaning of the text.
I believe there's not one meaning in a text that I have and the
students are supposed to get. We all bring what we bring to the
book based on what we've experienced in our lives and other
things we've read. And we put all those out into the mix and
come out with a totally different reading at the end. So that's
what I'm hoping for." Many teachers are afraid to promote
classroom discussion in which students assume control of its
shape. And with good reason. What happens when students set the
agenda? How much direction should the teacher provide? What
should a teacher do when a discussion doesn't work? How does a
teacher help students learn to treat conflicting points of view
with respect? What happens when students veer off the topic, or
reveal information of a highly personal—perhaps even
private—nature? Clearly, facilitating such discussions is a
complex—and sometimes risky—business. -Katherine Bomer, 5th-
Grade Teacher, Pleasant Hill Elementary