Okay, we get it, you have thoughts about the assignment
Discussions are a place to cultivate learning and to really make connections with people that could save you when you ultimately miss class for being sick. It’s also a place for people’s personalities to shine. I don’t know about you, but my discussion personality is completely different from my real personality. There also tend to be very specific types of people in discussion.
1. The Technology OBSESSED
There’s always that one person in discussion that is on their phone no matter the circumstances. There could be a specific rule in place that bans technology from the class and they would still have their phone out. They usually also completely disregard what the TA or professor is saying and then are absolutely lost when we break out into small group activities.
2. The one with thoughts
This person usually does a lot of talking for everyone during discussion. They either do the assignments and readings, or are outgoing enough to come up with enough thoughts to make it sound like they actually did the readings and assignments. Alternatively, they simply have no idea what’s going on and just want to talk. They may even get asked by the TA or professor to hold off on their comments because they’ve talked too much already. They would also be the ones to bring up the assignment that’s due today, but hasn’t been collected yet.
3. The Teacher’s Pet
Ah, the teacher’s pet. This person is usually the TA’s go-to for the right answers. They don’t necessarily talk too much, but they definitely know what they’re talking about. They’re either taking this class for fun or because they’re really interested in the topic. For some reason, my TA chose me for this role a couple years ago and I was embarrassed, but if the shoe fits…
4. The Show-off
The Show-Off is a combination of “The One with Thoughts” and the “Teacher’s Pet”. They know exactly what’s going on and want everyone else to know that they are smart. They may even take control of the discussion and explain things to other students because the TA isn’t doing a good enough job.
5.The Silent Observer
Finally, we’ve reached the one I relate to the most. The ones that sit back and usually watch this whole circus of a discussion go down. We usually know exactly what’s going on, but choose not to say anything or are too socially anxious to. We normally fall into two categories: silent-smart and silent because they have no idea what’s going on doesn’t want to sound dumb.
The next time you’re sitting in discussion, try and pick out these people because I can guarantee there’s at least a couple in every one. You may even find yourself in one of these categories.