In the life of a professor, what’s more satisfying than a successful class discussion? A classroom abuzz with ideas, students who are energized and alert, sinking their teeth into the assigned material, riffing in surprising, productive ways. Isn’t this why we got into the game in the first place? To cultivate curious minds in real time?
The flip side, of course, is that when discussion is flailing, we as professors (and humans) can feel like we’re flailing too. Even if most of us have well-developed tolerances for awkward silence, no one likes pulling teeth, and facilitating a stillborn discussion is no one’s idea of fun. Regardless of how things go, leading a class can be an emotionally charged experience that affects our sense of confidence and self-worth. On bad days, in those uncomfortable silences when we find ourselves staring out at rooms full of vacant faces, we might even find ourselves questioning our careers.
