Facilitate discussion by asking open-ended questions. Asking "yes" and "no" questions or questions for which there is a direct answer that can be given does very little to facilitate discussion. Instead, ask questions that require students to state their opinion on a question. If students do not answer immediately, pause until someone does. When someone states an opinion, ask the rest of the class how they feel about that opinion.
Learn the art of non-verbal communication to manage your classroom and teach your students. The way that your class perceives you and your interest in them, along with the subject matter you are teaching, can go a long way towards facilitating the learning experience. Students who feel as if the instructor genuinely enjoys the subject and enjoys teaching it will gain more from the class than students who sit through classes where the teacher labors just to get through the material because they have to do so. Learn to keep a positive and upbeat attitude while using eye contact and gestures as a way to maintain students' interest in the course material.
Incorporate the use of technological communication in the classroom. The prevalence of wireless technology is making it increasingly simple for teachers to enhance the learning experience of students. Online discussion forums, blogs and social media can all be used for the purpose of classroom communication. If your school has no rules against students having cellular phones, you can use social media like Facebook and Twitter to facilitate in-class discussions. Ask open-ended questions to your class and allow students to comment simultaneously through tweets to Twitter or comments on a Facebook page established specifically for the class.
Create collaborative assignments that the students can complete both in and out of class. Divide your students into small groups of four to five students and give them a set of questions to discuss. Go from group to group eavesdropping on the conversations and interjecting your thoughts and opinions when necessary. Many students are more willing to get involved in small group discussions than discussions with the entire class.