Our students probably love to talk and we know this
because the moment we let our guard down, their voice level will rise at an
increasing rate until we remind them of our expectations once again. However,
when it comes down to class discussion or partner-share ideas, we often hear
crickets instead. So how can we as educators help students redirect their speech to
something a little more productive? This way, we can get students to develop
effective discussions in the classroom.
The Center for Teaching and Learning at Stanford
University wrote an article titled How to
Get Students to Talk in Class, giving educators several helpful strategies
and tips to help students speak in class. The article mentions wait time and
this is something that is easier said than done for most of us who cannot stand
the silence. However, is important to know that silence is okay! Students need
time to think, and “If they seem to need more time to think, ask them to turn
to a classmate and brainstorm some responses to your question for two or three
minutes” (How). This tip leads up to the
next point that the article brings up and they call it “decentralize.”
Decentralizing is about “getting students to talk to each other, not just to
you” and to do this, “literally tell them to address their comments to each
other” and “try not to respond to every student comment; instead ask the class
what they think about what has just been said” (How).
An active learning strategy that the article
mentions is to utilize something called: solo free write. This strategy
requires the teacher to give students time to “jot down some ideas in response
to a problem or question before you expect them to have an answer ready” (How).
This strategy is going to allow students to map out their thoughts thoroughly
first before jumping into discussion. It is a great way to slowly ease students
into a discussion and if students get too shy to speak, you could simply ask
students to read what they had written. Also, you can tell your students that
they should also use the same paper to write down their classmates’ ideas or
other interesting thoughts throughout discussion.
Discussions are extremely effective for students and
it is a great way for students to learn to communicate with one another and
share ideas. Students can learn so much more when they aren’t only learning
from the teacher, but everyone around them including their peers. We need to
create a safe learning environment for students to speak and engage with one
another.
Works
Cited
"How to Get Students to Talk in Class." CTL:
Center for Teaching and Learning (2015): n. pag. Stanford University.
Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
Quynh,
ReplyDeleteI love that you tackled the topic of class discussions - they are such a key component to education and especially the English classroom. I love the jot down ideas strategy - and this is especially good for more reluctant speakers and English Language Learners who may be more comfortable speaking from notes than off the cuff. Great idea!
I find that if I'm trying to have students drive the discussion, I can ask them to elaborate on what a student just said and that really helps encourage students to address their ideas to each other. If they still struggle responding to someone directly, I'll keep trying by saying, "who has something to add to X's comment/answer? Does someone disagree?" Sometimes it feels like they need permission to address one another rather than me. Another tactic I'd like to try is to get down at their level. Rather than standing during class discussion, sit with the students. Let them know via physical proximity that you are all on the same ground and then sharing with each other might seem less intimidating.
I look forward to reading the article you sourced!
Thanks for discussing this key part of our classrooms - it is something very much at the forefront of my mind.
-Keely
What are you currently teaching to your students that they are discussing?
ReplyDeleteWe have discussed classic literature and poetry in my classes this semester and it seems that students will talk, we just have to get them interested in the subject matter.
Connecting the topic of study to their personal lives or prior knowledge is one way of getting students to speak. They can either relate the text/information to what they have experienced or what they have learned in school. I have been pleasantly surprised by students prior knowledge, and when I let them speak and navigate their thoughts, they usually end up where I would have led them if I had lectured the lesson for them.
I feel that sometimes we take them to an educational destination and the students are confused on how they arrived there. It's much more satisfying to have students drive the car, use a map, stop for gas, fix a flat, and reach their destination. Instead of you just being the bus driver and saying, "Here we are. I hope you remember how to get back."
Love these ideas on structuring student-student interaction (decentralizing the talk) and structuring wait time into your lesson! I also appreciate Keely’s observation that sometimes students “need permission to address one another.” So true! I also love Josh’s road trip metaphor. Your post inspired some fantastic dialogue! You and Mary both posted on student talk/cooperative learning. Check out her post too. Thanks, Quynh!
ReplyDelete