Art of Participation
If only we could all read (or even skim) a text once and then wax eloquent
on it during class discussion. While a fortunate few possess this skill,
most of us don’t. No need to despair, though, for you too can sound
brilliant in the classroom. The trick is to cultivate the rarefied art
of Sprezzatura: "well-practiced naturalness" or "rehearsed
spontaneity," a trait possessed by the most gifted conversationists,
debaters, politicians, intellectuals, teachers, socialites, and others
whose business is serious discourse (scroll for a good definition). Here
are some tips:
- When preparing for class, first read your assigned text once, commenting
in the margins as you go along. This is a highly idiosyncratic process.
Your jottings are personal—don’t fret because others can’t
decode them.
- Selectively review your text, returning to those passages you found
most significant, compelling, and interesting. Familiarize yourself
with the style and language of these excerpts. Here’s an idea:
memorize a favorite line or passage. The idea is to really interact
with the piece, lingering over details and technique.
- Use your dictionary to look up unfamiliar words.
- Here is the challenging part: Start to make connections among the
different passages you review. Actively seek out patterns: of thought,
tone, language, intention, imagery. Build your own system of cross-references
in the margins of your text to help you reaccess (during class discussion
or when writing a paper) those interconnections.
- While identifying patterns is incredibly important, don’t be
afraid to address contradictions. A willingness to grapple with inconsistencies
is the sign of a sophisticated mind. Mark those places in your text
that seem to belie other passages. How can you account for these contradictions?
- Don’t hesitate to bring in outside knowledge when it is relevant:
Does a particular word, phrase, sentence, passage, or chapter in the
text under consideration remind you of another text (or movie or painting
or piece of music) you have encountered elsewhere? Consult that other
text (movie, etc.). If you have time, take a few notes on it, and then
give some thought to how you might relate it to the class reading.
- (The most difficult part of all): Be a prophet! Anticipate (in advance
of discussion) others’ responses to, concerns about, and interests
in the text at hand. Consider how you might intersect with their comments
in class. The ability to follow up on a peer’s (or teacher’s)
response substantially contributes to the quality of classroom time.
- Finally, learn to support general assertions with textual evidence.
Direct the rest of us to a particular passage in the text that illustrates
your point (use your marginal annotations to help guide you in this
pursuit).
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