But you must watch to make sure that there is more effective communication going on than good-natured play. If you cannot answer one of these questions in the affirmative for the majority of the participation in your class, then it may be necessary to take the time and explain your expectations for classroom participation more clearly. It is not enough to say that participation counts for 20 percent of a grade if you do not give your students some guidance on what does and does not constitute valuable participation. Watch the nature of the questions you ask in opening conversations. Students expect you to play fair.
Questions have to be answerable and open-ended if they are to encourage participation.
Be aware of the nature of the responses you get to open-ended questions. Not all answers are created equal. Responses which indicate that the students understand the tie-in of the question to the material should result in a few wonderful teaching moments for you. On the other hand, answers that eschew the course material tie-in for solely the personal perspectives will offer you the chance to clarify the nature of the tie to the course for the entire class. Don't be afraid to speak up on the matter and refocus the group to the issues at hand.