SC - Columbia - Sheriff Slams Female Student to Floor In Class

[Montjoy]

The most important tools of a good LEO are not his sidearm or his fists -- they are his brain and his mouth.

 

[RANCH]

Raven-Symone criticized for Spring Valley assault comments

"The girl was told multiple times to get off the phone," Symone said. "There's no right or reason for him to be doing this type of harm, that's ridiculous. But at the same time, you gotta follow the rules in school. First of all, why are there cell phones in school? This shouldn't even be a problem to begin with, and he shouldn't have been acting like that on top of it."

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_Ne...Spring-Valley-Assault-comments/7091446120915/

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Haha.

I would like the record to show I didn't mention a specific political party! Jingoism lives everywhere, and boat-rockers come in all colors.

Let the record show I didn't mention any specific political party. I will end it here.

I sincerely apologize to fellow posters for the OT.

 

[Nova]

Please, explain to me how her actions were in the wrong. Try doing it without referencing that she wasn't "paying attention" to the classwork or some handbook. That is not disruptive nor is it wrong. I can not pay attention all I like. All that should result is I get an F for the day.
So again how were her actions wrong?...

Let's be clear: I'm not defending the measures taken in response, though I would like to know how the teachers here would have handled the matter, once the student refused to follow the established punishment of being sent to the vice-principal's office? I don't see how a teacher can just shrug and say, "Okay, you don't have to follow our procedures." without inviting chaos.

But back to the original offense (which, again, did not IMO merit assault and battery from the RO):

Texting in class is just as disruptive as passing notes was in the pre-cell phone era. Because when one person does it, then another thinks it's a good idea, and then another and so forth. And soon they are texting each other and/or sharing their tweet with a neighbor.

Not every subject or every lesson in any subject is fun. Sometimes students have to pay attention to more difficult material in order to understand (and even have fun with) the lessons that come later. But they live in a culture where the 18-49 demo is paramount, where they are constantly told the only the opinions that matter are those of the very young. But how can a teenager know what she needs to know without some sort of guidance? And how can she get that guidance while she is check texts on her cell phone?

I'm so glad I taught at a university, and a highly competitive one at that. Things got so bad that my department imposed very rigid rules on the freshmen: no eating or drinking or chewing gum in class, no leaving for the bathroom except at officially scheduled breaks, no talking except as part of a class exercise and for damn sure no cell phones or lap tops in use during the class period.

Despite all the whining on the first day each year when the rules were announced, I had very few discipline problems. And in response I could remind a student that, "If you don't like our rules, there are 800 people who would like your spot in this class." (That was the approximate number we rejected for each student we accepted.) It was not a threat I used often, but it was always implied.

I really would like to hear how our high school teachers deal with these problems, because while I think calling the police is too much, I'm not sure what a teacher is supposed to do in response to total recalcitrance.

 

[EllieBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/28/us/south-carolina-school-arrest-videos/

Wow. His defense attorney thinks he was justified? To quote NG; "BOMBSHELL".

Kidding, but seriously, of COURSE his attorney is gonna say that. Otherwise he would be a poor choice.

 

[bluesneakers]

Raven-Symone criticized for Spring Valley assault comments





http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_Ne...Spring-Valley-Assault-comments/7091446120915/

Does anyone care what she thinks, really?

 

[vestigare]

I always thought school was the place that you should feel protected, safe (even if you are not at home). It's where I felt safe. This case makes me so sad.

I had a friend hang up on me discussing the case because she thinks it was ok that girl got assaulted by an adult.

We teach children that bullying is wrong, yet being assaulted (by an ADULT) is ok?

What have we become, now that we have to argue assaulting children in school is not ok?

Excellent point. I hadn't thought about the Anti-bullying campaigns that are so prevalent in schools today but they sanction teachers, admins and ROs being bullies????

 

[vestigare]

Let the record show I didn't mention any specific political party. I will end it here.

I sincerely apologize to fellow posters for the OT.

Hey, let it be known I will be last person ever to complain about off topic.
You gotta discuss what you feel you gotta discuss.

 

[vestigare]

Let's be clear: I'm not defending the measures taken in response, though I would like to know how the teachers here would have handled the matter, once the student refused to follow the established punishment of being sent to the vice-principal's office? I don't see how a teacher can just shrug and say, "Okay, you don't have to follow our procedures." without inviting chaos.

But back to the original offense (which, again, did not IMO merit assault and battery from the RO):

Texting in class is just as disruptive as passing notes was in the pre-cell phone era. Because when one person does it, then another thinks it's a good idea, and then another and so forth. And soon they are texting each other and/or sharing their tweet with a neighbor.

Not every subject or every lesson in any subject is fun. Sometimes students have to pay attention to more difficult material in order to understand (and even have fun with) the lessons that come later. But they live in a culture where the 18-49 demo is paramount, where they are constantly told the only the opinions that matter are those of the very young. But how can a teenager know what she needs to know without some sort of guidance? And how can she get that guidance while she is check texts on her cell phone?

I'm so glad I taught at a university, and a highly competitive one at that. Things got so bad that my department imposed very rigid rules on the freshmen: no eating or drinking or chewing gum in class, no leaving for the bathroom except at officially scheduled breaks, no talking except as part of a class exercise and for damn sure no cell phones or lap tops in use during the class period.

Despite all the whining on the first day each year when the rules were announced, I had very few discipline problems. And in response I could remind a student that, "If you don't like our rules, there are 800 people who would like your spot in this class." (That was the approximate number we rejected for each student we accepted.) It was not a threat I used often, but it was always implied.

I really would like to hear how our high school teachers deal with these problems, because while I think calling the police is too much, I'm not sure what a teacher is supposed to do in response to total recalcitrance.

You seem to have jumped to future speculative actions that are not part of this case.
We have to deal with the specifics of this case.
There is no disruption if the student is not disrupting. Holding her accountable for other's possible future actions also doesn't make sense.

Some students do not have to pay attention at all to grasp the subject just fine. And if they are not grasping it then you fail them. What is the purpose of grades if we are going to force feed the lesson plan or suspend them when they don't accept it?

Your university had those rules? Seriously? Well I wouldn't waste my money to go somewhere that can't institute better policy than to treat everyone like prisoners.

I think the ideal situation would have been to quietly walk up to Suzie (my name for the student) and say.
Please put your phone away and do your classwork.
When Suzie again took out the phone. You request she come to the front of the class or your office and you have a confab about her problem.
You under no circumstances attempt to take away her personal property, you don't threaten her with ridiculous punishments.
Would the teacher appreciate it if the Principle walked into the classroom and slammed down some test results and said in front of the rest of the staff or students.
Mr Math: Your test results are horrible, you aren't doing your job,the rest of the staff are doing their jobs and they have higher test scores.

 

[EllieBee]

T

Let's be clear: I'm not defending the measures taken in response, though I would like to know how the teachers here would have handled the matter, once the student refused to follow the established punishment of being sent to the vice-principal's office? I don't see how a teacher can just shrug and say, "Okay, you don't have to follow our procedures." without inviting chaos.

But back to the original offense (which, again, did not IMO merit assault and battery from the RO):

Texting in class is just as disruptive as passing notes was in the pre-cell phone era. Because when one person does it, then another thinks it's a good idea, and then another and so forth. And soon they are texting each other and/or sharing their tweet with a neighbor.

Not every subject or every lesson in any subject is fun. Sometimes students have to pay attention to more difficult material in order to understand (and even have fun with) the lessons that come later. But they live in a culture where the 18-49 demo is paramount, where they are constantly told the only the opinions that matter are those of the very young. But how can a teenager know what she needs to know without some sort of guidance? And how can she get that guidance while she is check texts on her cell phone?

I'm so glad I taught at a university, and a highly competitive one at that. Things got so bad that my department imposed very rigid rules on the freshmen: no eating or drinking or chewing gum in class, no leaving for the bathroom except at officially scheduled breaks, no talking except as part of a class exercise and for damn sure no cell phones or lap tops in use during the class period.

Despite all the whining on the first day each year when the rules were announced, I had very few discipline problems. And in response I could remind a student that, "If you don't like our rules, there are 800 people who would like your spot in this class." (That was the approximate number we rejected for each student we accepted.) It was not a threat I used often, but it was always implied.

I really would like to hear how our high school teachers deal with these problems, because while I think calling the police is too much, I'm not sure what a teacher is supposed to do in response to total recalcitrance.

You make excellent points.

Unlike in your position, dangling the carrot of "800 other people vying for your spot" would not likely work. I suppose it comes down to finding out what a person's "currency" is.

Also, college students are legally, if not frontal-lobally (I make up my own terminology ) adults. In this case, the student is a child who recently lost her mother and is in foster care.

I agree that a child who is consistently unable or unwilling to respect the classroom environment should have that privilege suspended. At this point, I have not seen or read that this girl was a habitual offender. And even were this the case, the obscene show of violence recorded on video is totally unjustified.

Honestly, I don't know what the perfect solution would have been. I can say with confidence, though, this was not it.

In my mind I have been playing over a variation of something I do with my children, who are much younger.

I make a verbal request. I wait for a response. If none, I make my request again. If no response, I suggest that the child can do as asked or perhaps they are in need of my help. Which is Kryptonite to young children. "NOOOOO! I can do it!".

If that does not work, they are removed from that specific activity/lesson.

Now I know this is not feasible with a teen. But some of the basics might apply.

Should she ignore my request to hand over the phone (and nowhere have I read she was yakking loudly during class, but that she was not paying attention in class) I would maybe say, "When you break the rules, you will not be permitted back into our class. If you are not permitted back into our class, you will not be able to do the work required to pass. Would you like to make a smart choice or a foolish one?" If she refuses still, then I might go about teaching the rest of my period. Afterwards, inform the office that this student violated classroom policy and is to be suspended for x days.

It is a lot easier(and less violent) to deny admittance to rather than remove an unwilling person. And also, I think this method would place the onus on the child. After all, she was allowed to make that choice. Hopefully, this would serve as a learning experience.

Again, this is if the child is breaking a rule that is not distracting or harming other kids.(which would warrant serious intervention to protect other children) Teens may be toddlers redux, but they are capable of feeling regret. By offering the child the opportunity to make a good choice rather than "coming at them" , it places the consequences squarely in their laps.

Sorry for yet another long-winded blah blah blah. I am thinking things out as I type.

 

[Nova]

You seem to have jumped to future speculative actions that are not part of this case....

I did not speculate. I reported the known results of lax discipline in our classrooms. And as for it being a prison, I was teaching in a theater department. Every single one of our rules is also in effect for theater professionals all over the world. Our applicants claimed they wanted to work in the theater (mostly as actors) and we responded by illustrating the demands that are made on workers in a collaborative art form.

To put it simply, you don't get to go pee in the middle of rehearsal and leave 40 people to stand around and wait for you. The actor's union mandates breaks and you make use of them. We instructors held ourselves to the same standard: I didn't wander off mid-lecture to make a phone call but I religiously gave students their break at the scheduled time (just as I would be required to do were I a producer or director).

Whether one student grasps the subject has nothing to do with actions that are likely to disturb others. The smartest kids need to learn a little patience, if they intend to work with all kinds of people.

You say we have to deal with the "specifics of this case" and then you launch into a hypothetical exercise about "Suzie". How do you know the teacher didn't take just those actions you prescribe? As for speaking to the student in public, "Suzie" was causing a public disturbance; this is not the same as berating a student publicly for a failing grade (which would be a better analogy to your principal/teacher comparison).

FWIW, I didn't make our rules, I merely agreed to abide by them. And though my (heavily academic) classes were considered the most difficult in our department, I can count on one hand the number of students (out of thousands) who failed. That's the half of the teacher's responsibility that your insistence on laissez-faire classrooms ignores: the responsibility to make sure a student learns something in October that she will need to understand an assignment in March.

 

[kareylou]

Let's be clear: I'm not defending the measures taken in response, though I would like to know how the teachers here would have handled the matter, once the student refused to follow the established punishment of being sent to the vice-principal's office? I don't see how a teacher can just shrug and say, "Okay, you don't have to follow our procedures." without inviting chaos.

But back to the original offense (which, again, did not IMO merit assault and battery from the RO):

Texting in class is just as disruptive as passing notes was in the pre-cell phone era. Because when one person does it, then another thinks it's a good idea, and then another and so forth. And soon they are texting each other and/or sharing their tweet with a neighbor.

Not every subject or every lesson in any subject is fun. Sometimes students have to pay attention to more difficult material in order to understand (and even have fun with) the lessons that come later. But they live in a culture where the 18-49 demo is paramount, where they are constantly told the only the opinions that matter are those of the very young. But how can a teenager know what she needs to know without some sort of guidance? And how can she get that guidance while she is check texts on her cell phone?

I'm so glad I taught at a university, and a highly competitive one at that. Things got so bad that my department imposed very rigid rules on the freshmen: no eating or drinking or chewing gum in class, no leaving for the bathroom except at officially scheduled breaks, no talking except as part of a class exercise and for damn sure no cell phones or lap tops in use during the class period.

Despite all the whining on the first day each year when the rules were announced, I had very few discipline problems. And in response I could remind a student that, "If you don't like our rules, there are 800 people who would like your spot in this class." (That was the approximate number we rejected for each student we accepted.) It was not a threat I used often, but it was always implied.

I really would like to hear how our high school teachers deal with these problems, because while I think calling the police is too much, I'm not sure what a teacher is supposed to do in response to total recalcitrance.

You asked for my opinion. In my opinion, when the teacher reprimanded a new student in front of the whole class, he had already lost. Very few children respond positively to being publicly reprimanded. I suspect he didn't know her well enough to predict what would happen. Turning it into a power struggle served no purpose except perhaps to preserve the teachers ego. It is so important for teachers to check their egos at the door of the classroom.
I do disagree with many on this thread about cell phones in the classroom. They are way too much of a temptation and distraction. I described one way to handle cell phones in my comment on page 31 or 32. Another would be to have a discussion with the students on the first day of class and explain that "while we all love our devices, I cannot teach math while kids are texting and if the phones are on your person, you're going to use them. What do you think we should do?"
Note I didn't make any moral judgments about the use of cell phones. I didn't even say that they couldn't learn math while on social media. I made a statement about myself that they cannot argue with: I can't teach under those circumstances. I let them know that we are all on the same side, we are a team, and their opinions will be listened to and valued.
I am astounded at how the same group of children can behave so differently under different circumstances. Many people assume that years and years of public school teaching in a city have embittered me and caused me to despair for our country's future. On the contrary, I am consistently humbled and inspired when I realize that every child wants to be a good student, wants to be perceived as smart, is innately compassionate, even though some of them hide those qualities very deeply.
If the situation in question happened in my classroom, I would try to catch her eye and signal her to put the phone away. If she didn't, I would give her a note asking her to stay after class and talk to me. Then I would go on with class. When I got the chance to talk to her I might say "It's not like you to be goofing off in class. What's going on?" She might be bored by the material, she might be afraid it's too hard, she might be valuing popularity more than education at her age, or, as in this girls case, there might be something really serious going on that I can help with.
As I said, I check my ego at the door. It's not about me being "disrespected". It's about the precious responsibility and opportunity I have to help my students have a better life now and the kind of future they are all dreaming of.

 

[CCmakes3]

Let's be clear: I'm not defending the measures taken in response, though I would like to know how the teachers here would have handled the matter, once the student refused to follow the established punishment of being sent to the vice-principal's office? I don't see how a teacher can just shrug and say, "Okay, you don't have to follow our procedures." without inviting chaos.

But back to the original offense (which, again, did not IMO merit assault and battery from the RO):

Texting in class is just as disruptive as passing notes was in the pre-cell phone era. Because when one person does it, then another thinks it's a good idea, and then another and so forth. And soon they are texting each other and/or sharing their tweet with a neighbor.

Not every subject or every lesson in any subject is fun. Sometimes students have to pay attention to more difficult material in order to understand (and even have fun with) the lessons that come later. But they live in a culture where the 18-49 demo is paramount, where they are constantly told the only the opinions that matter are those of the very young. But how can a teenager know what she needs to know without some sort of guidance? And how can she get that guidance while she is check texts on her cell phone?

I'm so glad I taught at a university, and a highly competitive one at that. Things got so bad that my department imposed very rigid rules on the freshmen: no eating or drinking or chewing gum in class, no leaving for the bathroom except at officially scheduled breaks, no talking except as part of a class exercise and for damn sure no cell phones or lap tops in use during the class period.

Despite all the whining on the first day each year when the rules were announced, I had very few discipline problems. And in response I could remind a student that, "If you don't like our rules, there are 800 people who would like your spot in this class." (That was the approximate number we rejected for each student we accepted.) It was not a threat I used often, but it was always implied.

I really would like to hear how our high school teachers deal with these problems, because while I think calling the police is too much, I'm not sure what a teacher is supposed to do in response to total recalcitrance.

If it were me, I would have called mommy or daddy to come get her. Parents are responsible for their children, no? If it's a foster child, then I'd call the foster parent. I'd say, "I'm so sorry to bother you at work/home/the dentist's office/wherever, but your daughter is choosing not to follow directives to stop using her cell phone and go to the principal's office. Since she will not get up of her own accord and I do not want to violate her dignity by physically forcing her, I need you to drop whatever you're doing right now and respond to the needs of your child. If you are engaged in something that you feel is more important than your child and are unable to come, please call your emergency contact or another representative of your choice to come to the school immediately. Report to the security desk so that you may be escorted to the classroom and perform whatever actions are necessary to convince your daughter to follow the rules. Thank you so much for being there for your child!"

Not saying it's a perfect solution, but if a teacher wants a student to leave the classroom and the student refuses, it's probably the only solution that's not going to get the teacher or the school in trouble. Hopefully, the experience would be so mortifying for both the child and the parent that they might come to an agreement not to let it happen again.

 

[Nova]

Thank you for your response, ElleBee. We aren't talking about issues that necessarily lend themselves to short responses.

You wrote:

Honestly, I don't know what the perfect solution would have been. I can say with confidence, though, this was not it.

And I absolutely agree.

The irony is that I myself attended a school that was much like the one that vestige seems to prefer. But it was a public/private co-venture (something like a magnet or target school today) to which students from all over a large county could apply. And students were accepted largely on the basis of proven self-initiative, since there was so much freedom. And so I spent six years (no, I wasn't slow; it was a combined junior/senior high) doing anything I pleased.

But had I been disruptive or failing, I would have been sent back to my district school tout suite.

Which brings us to the dilemma of the case at issue: since school is compulsory (up to a certain age) and corporal punishment is banned (thank God!), what can teachers do with students who decide (as teens are wont to do) that the rules apply to everyone but them?

I like your ideas, ElleBee, but I don't know if a h.s. teacher has the power to tell a student she will be suspended or expelled from the class. In fact, I will be surprised if many secondary teachers have that power. (Even at a university, I couldn't have threatened that on my own. I wasn't even allowed to accuse a student of cheating, no matter how obvious the offense might be; I had to write a report and forward it with the plagiarized work to a special committee, whose members never spoke to me before ruling on the matter.)

 

[ontheclock]

If it were me, I would have called mommy or daddy to come get her. Parents are responsible for their children, no? If it's a foster child, then I'd call the foster parent. I'd say, "I'm so sorry to bother you at work/home/the dentist's office/wherever, but your daughter is choosing not to follow directives to stop using her cell phone and go to the principal's office. Since she will not get up of her own accord and I do not want to violate her dignity by physically forcing her, I need you to drop whatever you're doing right now and respond to the needs of your child. If you are engaged in something that you feel is more important than your child and are unable to come, please call your emergency contact or another representative of your choice to come to the school immediately. Report to the security desk so that you may be escorted to the classroom and perform whatever actions are necessary to convince your daughter to follow the rules. Thank you so much for being there for your child!"

Not saying it's a perfect solution, but if a teacher wants a student to leave the classroom and the student refuses, it's probably the only solution that's not going to get the teacher or the school in trouble. Hopefully, the experience would be so mortifying for both the child and the parent that they might come to an agreement not to let it happen again.

^^^Excellent.

 

[bluesneakers]

If it were me, I would have called mommy or daddy to come get her. Parents are responsible for their children, no? If it's a foster child, then I'd call the foster parent. I'd say, "I'm so sorry to bother you at work/home/the dentist's office/wherever, but your daughter is choosing not to follow directives to stop using her cell phone and go to the principal's office. Since she will not get up of her own accord and I do not want to violate her dignity by physically forcing her, I need you to drop whatever you're doing right now and respond to the needs of your child. If you are engaged in something that you feel is more important than your child and are unable to come, please call your emergency contact or another representative of your choice to come to the school immediately. Report to the security desk so that you may be escorted to the classroom and perform whatever actions are necessary to convince your daughter to follow the rules. Thank you so much for being there for your child!"

Not saying it's a perfect solution, but if a teacher wants a student to leave the classroom and the student refuses, it's probably the only solution that's not going to get the teacher or the school in trouble. Hopefully, the experience would be so mortifying for both the child and the parent that they might come to an agreement not to let it happen again.

You would stop teaching the class and go call the child's parent or caregiver? Who does that benefit?

The speech you have prepared for the parent or caregiver seems passive-aggressive to me, and I doubt it would be effective or helpful. You've put the parent on the defensive right from the get go, as if he or she was somehow in on what the student did.

And physically forcing someone to do something isn't a dignity violation. It's assault.

JMO.

eta: Are you a teacher?

 

[kareylou]

I feel the need to make a p.s. (That will teach you to ask for my opinion!) Yes, I would say "It's not like you" even if she were a not a particularly well-behaved student. Or I might say "You're usually more attentive" or some such. It is not dishonest and it is not currying favor. It is a reflection of the reality I wrote about earlier: these children are still developing, their brains are creating neuropathways constantly, they are forming world views and more importantly, beliefs about what sort of person they are. As much as possible I try to speak to their better self.
I realize I'm taking up more than my share of cyberspace! I feel very strongly about this and it breaks my heart to know that this is happening. THat video is what makes me doubt the future of education, not the eternal tendency of teenagers to goof off in class, whether it is inkwells, spitballs, notes, or texting.

 

[vestigare]

Nova,
I think you are a bit confused.
You asked for ideas on what to do. That necessitated my Suzie scenario. Unless you think I control time it was going to be speculative.
It however was still in keeping with the known parts of this case.

As for my math teacher analogy it wasn't about test results or failing. It was about calling out a teacher for something a teacher should have been doing. Just as the teacher called out a student for somethingy she should have been doing.

Your theater dept....don't much care. Sounds ridiculous to me but what do I know, my uni treated us like adults and adults don't need to be told when to go potty.


I also don't prescribe to blind following of rules.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Should she ignore my request to hand over the phone (and nowhere have I read she was yakking loudly during class, but that she was not paying attention in class) I would maybe say, "When you break the rules, you will not be permitted back into our class. If you are not permitted back into our class, you will not be able to do the work required to pass. Would you like to make a smart choice or a foolish one?" If she refuses still, then I might go about teaching the rest of my period. Afterwards, inform the office that this student violated classroom policy and is to be suspended for x days.

It is a lot easier(and less violent) to deny admittance to rather than remove an unwilling person. And also, I think this method would place the onus on the child. After all, she was allowed to make that choice. Hopefully, this would serve as a learning experience.

Again, this is if the child is breaking a rule that is not distracting or harming other kids. Teens may be toddlers redux, but they are capable of feeling regret. By offering the child the opportunity to make a good choice rather than "coming at them" , it places the consequences squarely in their laps.

Sorry for yet another long-winded blah blah blah. I am thinking things out as I type.

RSBM for focus

I am not a teacher but I have been thinking of how the situation could have been handled better and this strategy is pretty much what I came up with too.

If she had been disrupting the class to the extent that other students couldn't study or the teacher couldn't conduct the lesson, fine, her removal from the class was justified although certainly not in the violent way it was accomplished.

But if not, why not let her continue to text--or whatever she was doing--to her heart's content, and let her reap the consequences later in the form of detention, suspension, or whatnot?

Oh and as for the justification that she was disrupting class (not directed at you, EB), who here thinks that as soon as the girl was out of the classroom everyone else went right back to their studying?

 

[Nova]

Thank you, kareylou and CCmakes3. I'm so glad I asked!

CC, your idea would have worked perfectly with ME, but a friend of mine worked in one of the worst school districts in South Central L.A. He said he never laid eyes on the parents of most of his students (and he was teaching 2nd or 3rd grade!) and the contact numbers in their files were no longer good.

kareylou, I admit I haven't read every post in this long thread. I didn't for example, realize the student was new to the class. (I never had that experience, since kids couldn't add my classes after the second meeting.) That would certainly call for a different response.

I love the idea of asking the students to help the teacher do his/her job and I used to use a similar approach. I thought my classes should have been seminars, but for budget reasons, they were large lecture groups. My job was to teach critical thinking about the theater and I believe the only way to do that is to model it. So although I spent hours prepping for each class hour, I actually taught it as a sort of large-group discussion. Students were allowed to interrupt me, add their own comments, ask questions, respond to questions from me--anything that was at least vaguely related to our topic.

And I explained from the beginning that the rules they initially found so "draconian" allowed all of us to do nothing but concentrate on the discussion at hand.