How can I help students who are new to Shared Inquiry get better at it?
First, use Starting Off Strong to introduce Shared Inquiry to your students. Explain the five guidelines of discussion and repeat them as needed, especially in the first few discussions. Participants in a Great Books program will have a clearer idea of what is expected of them if, from time to time, you guide them in assessing how well they listened and responded to each other during Shared Inquiry discussion. They will also value the activity more when they pause to consider how their own thinking has developed over the course of the discussion. After Shared Inquiry discussion, call attention to the times when a tentatively offered opinion triggered an important insight for someone else. Ask how certain ideas were reevaluated and developed. Remind students that in a discussion many ideas are put forward and that it is necessary to be open to change if the evidence demands it. A good sign that students are starting to feel comfortable with Shared Inquiry discussion is that they no long
