Drawing from a five-site multicase study, this paper examines three middle school students' perspectives on weekly classroom discussions that took place over a 6-month period in order to analyze the dynamics of classroom talk and how discussions can be affected by the teacher's interaction with the students. The three students were members of an accelerated language arts curriculum for gifted eighth graders. They were initially in separate groups, but when students suggested forming "talk-alike" groups--separating the vocally dominant from the less vocal--the three ended up in a group known for its outspokenness. A short analysis of each student is provided, which includes each student's perception of his or her classroom participation, and a look at patterns of interruption during discussion. An analysis of students' perceptions, which reveals gendered perspectives of each other, is also provided. The concluding analysis of the implications of the discourse dynamics suggests that merely providing a forum for students to express themselves does not necessarily empower them. Contains 20 references. (SW)