Silence in the Classroom: From Reacting to Rapport

abstract:Why do I view silences during in-class discussions as negatives? In this article, I employ narrative knowing to braid my personal teaching experience with a reflective reading of Mary Reda's Between Speaking and Silence: A Study of Quiet Students. Reda argues that a negative view of student silence is rooted in a cultural narrative of salvation by learning to speak truth to power. I argue that writing can serve as an antidote to silence, and that class discussions work best in supporting the development of the primary dialogic form for which my students and I are gathered. I differentiate between quiet students and quiet classes and recommend building rapport so as to clear the way for motivation and learning to occur.