In most classes, particularly those for women, discussion rushes at a speed that threatens to consume the lesson. Every once in a while, however, a teacher encounters a class that sits in silence. With careful preparation, a teacher can start the discussion and even train students to volunteer.
Begin preparing for good discussions when you are creating the lesson material. Good questions are ones that cannot be answered with a single word. In addition, it's best not to ask questions that have a "right" answer. Adults, unlike young children, don't like to guess because they worry about the impression they will make if they are wrong. If you want to ask a question with a specific answer, give the students clues. Tell them the scripture reference so they can look it up. Better yet, though, ask a question that requires an opinion. Don't ask which prophet emphasized gardening. Ask how following the admonition to have a garden can help us to be better parents. Anyone can answer that question with a little thought. Ask people to share how they've benefitted from a garden. That limits the answerers to those who have gardens, but should allow enough people to share that a discussion will begin. People love to talk about themselves.
Be prepared to reword the question if needed. Suppose you ask, "What are the benefits of gardening?" Perhaps no one answers. Try again. "Do you remember gardening as a child? What impact did it have on you?" "How much do those of you who have gardens feel you save in your grocery budget?"
If you regularly have trouble getting people to talk, plant some comments. Ask a friend to answer a question you give her in advance. If you regularly ask people to do this, those people will get used to answering. Often people are too insecure to answer first, but will join in once they feel confident of how the question ought to be answered. You can also hand out questions written on slips of paper to students as they enter. If you think you have a shy group, give the question to one person and ask her to work with the people on either side of her to come up with an answer.
If many of your students have email, offer to create an email list for students. Each week, send them the lesson title and topic (as well as where to find it if you are teaching from a student book.) Include a list of discussion questions to consider in advance. The more time people have to think over the questions, the more likely they are to come up with an answer.
You might also catch them the moment they enter the room. Write a question on the board. Start the lesson by asking them to think about something as the material is presented, such as a time when this subject impacted their own lives. As you teach the lesson, various points will remind them of events in their own lives.
Be cautious about calling on someone who has not volunteered. This can lead to embarrassment, since the person may not have been listening or may have been thinking about the issue, but on a personal level he'd rather not share. It is always best to warn people before they are called on, unless you know them very well. Even then, repeat the question after saying their name.
Planning ahead and soliciting volunteers is the best way to get your adult students to participate. Once they are used to a class filled with discussion, they will come prepared to discuss the topic. Then the real fun begins!
Hard Questions, Prophetic Answers
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