Redding School District

Whole Class Discussion

Whole Class Discussion - Whole-class discussions can be one of the most valuable instructional strategies in your teaching repertoire. To be successful, however, students must learn to participate appropriately: to listen to one another's comments, take turns speaking, and respect others' opinions. Your instructional plans can quickly fall apart when students blurt out answers, monopolize the conversation, avoid participating, ask irrelevant questions, or give inappropriate answers. Learning self-control, taking turns, and respecting others allow all students an equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion.

Only Call on Students Who Quietly Raise Their Hands or You Randomly Selected - Do not call on students who are shouting out answers - this will only encourage them to continue. Recognize students who are quietly raising their hands to answer and narrate their behavior. If you are using a random selection process, sticks or cards, then only work with that student.

If students continue to shout out the answer, even with their hands up, you will need to take corrective action Simply restate directions - "The directions were to raise your hands and wait to be called upon before speaking" Warn students if necessary to get them to engage the appropriately.

Use "Think" or "Wait" Time - Many teachers quickly toss out questions and hastily reach for an answer. This rapid interaction pattern diminishes thinking and learning. After posing a question, allow at least 5 to 10 seconds for students to process it and formulate an answer. This kind of think time says to a student, "This question is interesting and your response is worth the wait."

Use Higher-Level Questions - Often teachers ask questions that do not stimulate students to use higher-level thinking skills. Develop a repertoire of questions that stimulate students to go beyond thinking on a surface level. Have students formulate an answer, not just give responses. Ask questions that cause students to build, combine, synthesize, and extend their learning.

"What do you think about how the character responded to the policeman?"
"How does this relate to what we already know about energy?"
"How is that different from yesterday's character was feeling in The Bridge book?"
"Why do you think this might be true?"

Use Physical Proximity to Keep Students Engaged - More about the room during a discussion. Stand next to or near students who are having trouble participating appropriately during a discussion. Keep moving around the room and use your physical presence as a preventive tool. If you us a circle for your class discussion, have the disruptive students sit by you.

Pair Off When All Students Want to Speak - When the entire class is eager to speak, pair students off and allow 1 to 2 minutes for each pair to share their opinions. Give them a 30-second wind-down warning before returning to the whole-class discussion.

Possible Engagement Techniques for a Discussion - (see also Engagement Strategies )

Put students' names on craft sticks and place the sticks in a cup. Pull out a stick to determine who goes next. Call the name only after you have asked the question and provided some time for thinking.
Give everyone two or three chips, tokens, or coins to spend by speaking during a lesson. Some students will be challenged to speak and spend their chips. Others will - perhaps for the first time - bold back their words and chips and select a better time.
Have the seating chart in front of you with everyone's name on it. Make a tally mark on your chart when a student contributes to the discussion. This is a great way to monitor students who are actively participating, and note those who are too shy or reluctant and may have been overlooked. Eventually, you may decide to give a discussion grade based on participation, and this chart will help you decide that grade.
Avoid calling on the first students to raise his or her hand. Wait for a number of students to signal their interest in answering before using the counting technique to pull out some more. Count the number of hands raised for the question and say "I see one, two, ... six people who have an idea here" "Keep thinking who else". This will draw out some others. Might try to say "I'll give 30 seconds to confer with your neighbor about your ideas" and that might get others thinking.