Involving more students...really simple stuff

There are a number of things that we can do to improve the chances that kids are engaged in our classes. The ones I will describe here involve no preparation on your part, and no extra resources.

The q and a session that I referred to in another post is a teacher favourite--let's see what they think/remember about content x. As I said, you will have the regulars whose hands go up on a consistent basis while the others (who might actually know the answer too!) let them take the spotlight. Very little thinking is done by those who are not called upon by the teacher.

Solution: Paired Discussion (lots of other names too!)

Determine how you want the pairs set up. I have had tremendous success with the "appointment schedule" method; I do not advocate for letting students pick their own team members on a regular basis. Don't just tell them to talk it over. Instead, have them number off. Give them a method to determine numbers. I like to use the birthdays, because then they can engage in a conversation with each other that involves something they should know about for sure! Example: "Whichever partner is older is person 1, the baby of the group is person 2." Even this kind of easy conversation puts a smile on many students' faces, and they can function more effectively in groups as a result (teambuilding). Now ask them the question and give them some think time. I suggest having them write their ideas down for more accountability. Once their think time is done, tell them that before you have them share their ideas with the class, they will have a chance to rehearse or to see what someone else wrote. Tell them which person in the pair (1 or 2) will speak first, then let them talk. Once that is done, you have every right to call on anyone in the class. I tell them I don't want to see hands in advance, so their "level of concern" (Is he going to pick me?) stays high. Of course kids can get off topic in their discussions, but you have done alot to make sure that they are thinking and engaged. When I choose a student, I will say something like: "Sarah, what did you and Don come up with?" Early in the semester, I tell students that I ask questions that way for a reason: Sarah can blame Don if it's not a great answer, or she can take all the glory if it's a great answer. Then I start choosing students randomly.

Consider how much information we expect students to remember/learn. We need to give them time to process. When creating your lesson plans, build in time for student talk (think pair share, round robin, etc). We are so content driven, but what good is that when we're the only ones who know the content at the end of the day. Plan to "cover" less, but have them talk/write/draw about it more. Of course, you need to become adept at working the room for all this to work. As they talk, you walk and listen...this provides ample opportunities to intervene and explain something or clarify a concept. You can also guage students' understanding without putting anyone on the spot.