Interrogating Texts?

I have to deal with this conundrum a lot. Pretty much all of my classes are text-heavy, and we always have to come in to class prepared to throw down some decent rhetoric. In my opinion, the difference between a good and a bad response to a text lies in the commitment of the reader. If you go into reading a text with a relatively open mind, half a brain, and a bit of focus, having a genuine response should come naturally.

(don't mind me, I just came from 3 excruciating hours of "anyone? Come on guys...someone who hasn't said anything yet...*crickets chirping*...")

I suppose as far as tactics go...

1. I find it really useful to firstly write comments down (I'm sorry, I feel as if this should be a no-brainer) in the margins when they pop into my head.
2. It helps me, at least, to take some sort of notes, or even better to try to write a summary of the main points. This way you're engaging the text post-consumption, instead of the notorious "in one ear and out the other" method. Reinforcement can do amazing things in the human brain.
3. Talk with your classmates before class about the text-it gets the dialog going and gives you some common ground content for conversation other than "man, those elevators sure are terrible..."
4. This is the most important, and often not utilized even though it's super easy and painless and effective: Review. In those 5 minutes before class when you're checking facebook on your iPhone or smoking a cigarette, or just doing nothing at all of value...take out your text, your notes, whathaveyou, and look over it. Easy Peasy. It refreshes the subject matter in your brain, and maybe you'll realize or notice something you didn't last night because you were half-awake and just wanted to get it done.