Domain
Questioning & Participation
The ratio problem: in most classrooms a handful of volunteers do the thinking for thirty. These techniques distribute cognitive work to everyone — warmly, predictably, without ambush.
The problems
- “It’s always the same five hands”1 technique
- “'I don’t know' ends every exchange”2 techniques
- “I get one-word answers or shrugs”2 techniques
- “They shout answers before anyone can think”1 technique
- “I ask a question and get silence”2 techniques
- “I hear a half-right answer and move on anyway”1 technique
The techniques
Circle BackTeacher craftWhen a student says 'I don't know', return to them so they finish with success.Cold CallStrong researchNot enough ratings yet · 1 so farAsk the question before you name who will answer, so the whole class keeps thinking.Wait TimeStrong researchHold three seconds of silence after every question, and answers get longer and better.Also on this shelf, write-ups coming: Set How They'll Answer · Show-Me Boards · Turn & Talk · Stretch the Answer · All the Way Right · Call & Response.