Scenario: Student makes a claim

Student makes a claim in class about a group but the professor does not know the facts to agree or disagree. For example, student says “I don’t know what Native Americans have to complain about. They’ve all got casinos and per capitas.”

This is a scenario that happened in the classroom of a member of the Productive Discomfort cohort. The group discussed possible responses, including:

• Say something like “That sounds like a real generalization” and admit to ignorance on the topic.
• Ask students to research the topic for next time. Divide the topic up and make assignments. Perhaps offer extra credit for the information.