From this file, we calculate the number of times a person has talked, the simple sum of their scores, and the percentage of +2s and +3s compared with the number of times talked.

Instructors should always be open to students wishing to speak with them about their final exam or paper – such a conversation is one last opportunity for encouragement, clarity, and specificity regarding areas of a student’s strengths and weaknesses.

planning. In this last portion of the class, students build on their view of the problems and their analysis of the causes to suggest things that one might do to solve them.

But when someone becomes irrational or personally abusive or inconsiderate, we intervene and, based on the situation, either invite the people to pause, think, and focus on the ideas and behavior rather than the people involved, or stop the conversation altogether.

Provide ongoing coaching and support, but not explicit direction.

The human mind needs cognitive stability. Therefore, any challenge to or questioning of a basic assumption will release anxiety and defensiveness.

In our experience, such a necessity has rarely arisen.

Most exercises involve individual work, small-group work, large-group work, faculty interventions, and off-line breaks.

In time outs, we often talk to the side of the class opposite from our student role-player counterpart as though that side is our alter ego or a group of confidants. We ask for their advice and counsel, “What should I say? How should I respond?” Their answers help reduce the impression that we aren’t reasonable and or behaving like a “real”