Successes – Elementary 2009

Share one quality questioning strategy you have tried that has been successful. How did the students respond? What do you think contributed to the success?

July 15, 2009. Elementary SI 2009. 75 Comments.

75 Comments

  1. Linda Korpics replied:

    This class has made me very aware of how much wait time I am giving my students after the question and after the answer given. I have noticed that the students elaborate on their answers when given Wait Time 2.

    September 13th, 2009 at 7:47 am. Permalink.

  2. Courtney Kendrick replied:

    I think that I was pretty good at wait time in the past but I never thought about wait time 2. I think it helps to let silence linger in the class because it creates more conversation and more answers. I have paid attention since this class and it does seem that it takes longer for younger students to respond to things.

    September 13th, 2009 at 2:17 pm. Permalink.

  3. Katherine Curl replied:

    I have implemented the Think First and Wait Time strategies during the Guidance Lessons with the younger grades. I have the younger students tap their forehead before raising their hands. This has been a success and a challenge, since it is a change of behavior for the students as well as for me. However, when used with consistency, the students and I have enjoyed the added order and calm that this strategy has produced. .
    Wait time 2 is a greater challenge for me. Students did not initially know how to handle the waiting silent time ,since it was not a natural response on my part. I am still working on making this flow more naturally.

    September 14th, 2009 at 7:54 am. Permalink.

  4. Melissa Mansfield replied:

    It seems like a lot of us have been paying attention to wait time. I have definitely tried a lot harder to give my students more time to respond to my questions. I think my class this year really needs the extra few seconds to get their thoughts together. I think that is especially true right now at the beginning of the year. I have a lot of very shy children who are hesitant to express themselves. Sometimes the extra wait time gives them a little confidence boost to share. I used to be afraid of silence in my classroom, but I am a lot more comfortable with it now.

    September 14th, 2009 at 1:01 pm. Permalink.

  5. Jamie Sherwood replied:

    Quality questioning techniques have helped me create an appropriate discussion etiquette for my classes. Students respect each other and are held accountable for learning. The level of critical thinking in my class is increasing. These higher thinking skills are the ones that produce high test scores. I am calling on more students and accepting more answers. I try not to say if any answer is wrong or right. I facilitate more discussion this way and more critical thinking. Students piggy back off each others responses. Before, I would stop when I heard the right response, now I accept many responses because often their are many correct answers. I am really trying to focus on being the facilitator instead of always leading discussion.

    September 14th, 2009 at 3:00 pm. Permalink.

  6. Stacey Edmonds replied:

    I was able to use one of the activities that we discussed in class that I call “4 corner”. I used it in conjunction with our review of the 5 Senses and had to modify it just a bit and use the center of the room for the 5th sense. Students had to decide for themselves which of their 5 senses was their favorite and go to that space. Then, they talked with members of their own group about why it was their favorite. Different members from the group shared ideas with the class. All students were able to participate but there were obvious leaders within each group. As the year goes on and the class is more comfortable with each other and with sharing, I think I will randomly call on a group member so that everyone is held accountable.

    September 14th, 2009 at 3:03 pm. Permalink.

  7. Megan Milnes replied:

    Just into the second week of Kindergarten, I have gotten to use a few strategies with my students. We have tried say it in a word and think-pair-share. Both strategies have worked well. We have used them to discuss rules and the way we would like for our fellow classmates to treat us. I think the strategies were a success because I demonstrated and modeled what the student’s response would look like. We have also practiced taking turns talking with the “tickly talker”, and giving only one word responses about ourselves. Wait time has been very beneficial with my students as well.

    September 15th, 2009 at 7:57 am. Permalink.

  8. Beverly Brown replied:

    The review of Bloom’s taxonomy has been very helpful to me. I created a bulletin board about Bloom’s taxonomy. It is a visual to me to help me remember to ask the higher level questions. My centers this week involve levels of questioning and it is interesting to observe the children as they ask questions among themselves.

    September 15th, 2009 at 4:39 pm. Permalink.

  9. Sheila Foster replied:

    Linda,

    After using these strategies, I too have become aware of the amount of wait time I was giving my students. Actually in the past, the amount of time I was giving them was not consistant. Using wait time 1 and 2 has allowed me to form more probing questions, which encourages the students to process the question before attempting to answer.

    September 16th, 2009 at 4:03 pm. Permalink.

  10. Sheila Foster replied:

    Melissa,

    I had a conversation with one of my classes yesterday regarding introverted and extroverted personalities. Usually I have several students who seem to be visitors to the class rather than participants. I shared with them that I would like them to take ownership of their learning experience and that one way I could assess their understanding of the material we are covering if they get involved in the class and have a voice. I have incorporated games which they hold up their answers all at once. Using a technique such as this will give me some feedback on my students understanding.

    September 16th, 2009 at 4:13 pm. Permalink.

  11. Marcelle Hicks replied:

    I used a funny, soft animal to toss to the child I wanted to answer my question during a science lesson on the Oceans. The children had a difficult time initially because they were concentrating too much on catching the animal, but after a while it went smoothly. I like that idea because it eliminates the children all raising their hands at once and believe it or not it made the questioning time fun.

    September 17th, 2009 at 10:18 am. Permalink.

  12. Justine Lawson replied:

    I have also been working on implementing wait time 1 and 2 in my class. I think the most surprising thing to me how was uncomfortable it made my students at first. They kept looking at me or each other to see if I would verify their answers or tell them they were incorrect. They are definitely starting to get used to it though, as well as learning that there may not always be just one right answer to the questions I am asking them. I have loved watching hands go up slowly over the 3-5 seconds that I wait, often from 2 hands to almost 20! Like a lot of you, I used wait time 1 much more frequently then wait time 2, and it has been so great to see the increased class participation and depth of responses in my students’ answers even in the second week of school.

    September 17th, 2009 at 3:37 pm. Permalink.

  13. Anne-Marie Slinkman replied:

    Since attending summer institute I have become very aware of the time that I allow my students to think before answering a question. I think that I am allowing more time for children to raise their hands before calling on someone. I also have been trying to allow for wait time 2, which has been harder to do. When I remember to wait, I can see that it is effective and that there is so much more participation from all students! They were uncomfortable with the silence at first, but are getting more used to it.

    September 18th, 2009 at 2:03 pm. Permalink.

  14. Leslie Phares replied:

    In my 5th grade collaborative SS class, we used the “4 Corners” strategy. In the 4 corners of the room, 4 famous Americans’ names were written on paper. After hearing a clue about 1 of the famous people, the students moved to that corner and stood under the name that they thought was correct. Then we called on some students to tell why they chose that person. It was fun and got the students up and moving. This is a good activity to use during the last 5-10 minutes of class to review previously taught information.

    September 18th, 2009 at 2:57 pm. Permalink.

  15. Nancy Aloma replied:

    On the first day of school, I had my 5th gradeclass do a synectics activity (4 corners) on “Science is like…” They had to choose from: legos, chocolate, pizza, and a bike. The students came up with such amazing connections. One student said science is like legos because things can be built upon it. Another said “Science is like chocolate because they both have molecules.” I have also made a conscious effort to implement more wait time. My principal was doing a walk through, and actually noticed my “wait time”.

    September 18th, 2009 at 2:59 pm. Permalink.

  16. gjlyman replied:

    That’s a good point Katherine. Students notice when the silence is awkward for the teacher and it takes time for WT2 to become a natural part of your questioning practices.

    September 18th, 2009 at 7:07 pm. Permalink.

  17. gjlyman replied:

    I can’t remember what grade you teach. I’m curious about how you taught students to piggy back. And what strategies teachers are using to encourage listening/piggying backing behaviors.

    September 18th, 2009 at 7:12 pm. Permalink.

  18. gjlyman replied:

    And as the year goes on you can also add a layer of critical thinking, by having students make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. e.g. is like because… The activity you describe here does a nice job of setting the stage for that thinking. And I like the way you used the center of the room – I hadn’t thought of that.

    September 18th, 2009 at 7:21 pm. Permalink.

  19. gjlyman replied:

    Neat. Do the students ever pass the stuffed animal to another student?

    September 18th, 2009 at 7:24 pm. Permalink.

  20. gjlyman replied:

    I can see this evolving over the year. I’m imagining a clue that could fit multiple famous Americans. Once the students pick their corner they collaborate with other students in that corner to create a question to ask the teacher to confirm their selection. Thanks for getting me thinking.

    September 18th, 2009 at 7:29 pm. Permalink.

  21. Nadya replied:

    Nancy,

    That activity is powerful and I am always pleased with the answers I receive. It not only provides higher level of thinking, but a touch of creativity. Students are not regualry forced to think this way. It would be neat to see how their answers develop as th year progresses. We did a similar activity with staff for their first day of school. The answers were humorous, “the first day is like a roller coaster because you can’t wait until it is over.”

    Nadya

    September 18th, 2009 at 9:06 pm. Permalink.

  22. Nadya replied:

    Anne-Marie,

    My challenge is similar. I find people are so anxious to speak that it is hard to institute that time. It is easy when there is a break in conversation, but making that break is a challenge.

    Nadya

    September 18th, 2009 at 9:09 pm. Permalink.

  23. Nadya replied:

    My situation is different, as I do not begin working with students until October. Regardless I have tried to use some of the strategies learned in conversation with students and during professional development workshops. In leading a reflection session, I attempted to use wait time 1 and 2. For me one is a breeze because for years I have used it with students. The difficulty is two and I am not sure how well that worked because participants were quick to respond and/or piggyback. I do feel that allowing for more responses allowed more voices to be heard than the regular responders.

    Nadya Briggs

    September 18th, 2009 at 9:18 pm. Permalink.

  24. Melissa Mansfield replied:

    Thank you for the tip! I like to use whiteboards and have my students hold up their answers during math a lot. What grade do you teach? I’m in second and I would love to hear some suggestions for games that I could use with my younger ones. Something that I struggle with when showing answers as a group, is students quickly changing their answers when they see what everyone else has chosen. (I’m thinking in math when we are doing greater than and less than and we hold up alligators with their mouths facing one direction or another.) Anyone have any tips for a situation like that?

    September 20th, 2009 at 8:53 am. Permalink.

  25. Melissa Mansfield replied:

    I think it is really interesting that you try not to tell your class if an answer is right or wrong. How do you phrase your response when you do get an incorrect answer? Sometimes I find myself saying something like, “That’s an interesting thought. I’m wondering if we can come up with something a little different.” Does that sound like a response that could work? Also, how have you found your students respond to you being the facilitator instead of leading the discussion. I find that my children get really quiet and a little nervous when I take a step back. I’m hoping that they will get more comfortable and that they can think more independently (while staying on track) as the year goes on.

    September 20th, 2009 at 8:59 am. Permalink.

  26. Melissa Mansfield replied:

    I do something similar to this. I got the idea from one of my teachers in junior high school. When I ask a question, I toss a Koosh Ball to the student that I am hoping will answer the question. It really gets the kids excited about participating. I noticed the same thing about students becoming too concerned with the actual catching part of the “game.” This is an activity that you definitely have to teach and model appropriate behavior with.

    September 20th, 2009 at 9:01 am. Permalink.

  27. Beverly Brown replied:

    My experience with this strategy has not always been so positive. My extremely shy children are so nervous about the ball being thrown to them that they forget the question. I was in an adult class and actually observed many adults panicking at the thought of having the ball thrown at them and being embarrassed if they didn’t know the answer. If I observe a child exhibiting signs of nervousness, I monitor his/her attention carefully and find opportunities for privatelly asking the child for thoughts and building self-confidence. Within a month, this child is usuallly raising his/her hand and participating in group and class discussions.

    September 20th, 2009 at 7:31 pm. Permalink.

  28. Beverly Brown replied:

    I like your idea of using quality questioning techiques to create discussion etiquette. Socratic seminars are used in my classroom to end a unit, and I am constantly examining ways to improve the “mechanics” of the seminar. What strategies do you use?

    September 20th, 2009 at 7:43 pm. Permalink.

  29. Nancy Aloma replied:

    This reminds me of a strategy using a “talking stick” that is passed from child to child. I have seen it used in a way that the talking stick is passed in an orderly fashion from one student to the next , and the student was required to comment on the topic when they got the stick. However, many children did not like it when the stick got to them, and they had nothing new to add. I have also seen the “talking stick” used by a discussion facilitator who handed the stick to a child who raised their hand. That was the only person that was able to speak and voice their opinions.

    September 20th, 2009 at 8:13 pm. Permalink.

  30. Nancy Aloma replied:

    I have seen Beverly’s bulletin board, and she tied it into the school’s “Kingdom of Learning” theme. She has the Kingdom of knowledge, the kingdom of analysis, etc. It really does catch your eye, and makes you more aware of the higher levels of thinking. The students are also becoming aware of the levels of questioning because of this bulletin board.

    September 20th, 2009 at 8:19 pm. Permalink.

  31. Megan Milnes replied:

    I teach kindergarten and love that you used 4 corners or should I say 5 to do the senses. I will have to try that out next week when we start on the 5 senses! I have also used 4 corners for reviewing favorite shapes and colors. The students really benefit from being able to get up and move around the classroom.

    September 21st, 2009 at 2:39 pm. Permalink.

  32. Megan Milnes replied:

    I have my children “hide” their while every one is being given time to answer. We put down our markers when we are finished writing our answers so I know who is still working. We all share our whiteboards at the same time. The fact that their markers are down seems to help with the changing of answers.

    September 21st, 2009 at 3:12 pm. Permalink.

  33. Courtney Kendrick replied:

    I agree. I feel like I am quick to help the student answer so they do not become embarrassed. I am often surprised in first grade that even though it takes them a long time to answer, they actually do know it and can give the correct answer. I know it is something as teachers we have done in the past but it is interesting when you now think about it as it is actually happening in the classroom.

    September 22nd, 2009 at 2:33 pm. Permalink.

  34. Courtney Kendrick replied:

    I like this idea alot. I think it would work in so many different subjects and areas even in the lower grades. I teach first grade and we are doing animals right now. I think it would be a good idea to set it up with different animals and have the students discuss all they know about the animal and then share with the class. For example, tell its habitat, it’s body covering, characteristics, etc. I used this in combination with chalk talk last year to review for the HATS test. I had 4 posters around the room with a topic and each group would write all they know about the topic but they could not write something that was already written. It made them review automatically without realizing it.

    September 22nd, 2009 at 2:39 pm. Permalink.

  35. Jamie Sherwood replied:

    Students are able to distinguish if an answer is incomplete. I also have them repeat what others have said. Sometimes I’ll have them summarize what was said by someone else before they answer themselves. I teach PE!!!

    September 23rd, 2009 at 10:37 am. Permalink.

  36. Leslie Phares replied:

    I love the idea of students creating different level questions based of Bloom’s Taxonomy. This would work great for the upper grades. After reading a story or part of a novel, students work on creating different types of questions (using the Bloom’s wheel) at one of their centers. Then they can exchange questions with another student. I am going to try this in my 5th grade collaborative class.

    September 23rd, 2009 at 11:54 am. Permalink.

  37. Colleen replied:

    I have noticed quite a difference in the way my students are answering questions. When I give them more time to ask a question, they respond with more thoughtful answers. I taught them that we all need different amounts of time to think. I’ve even implemented the stop sign that was in the book. I hold it up so the kids know to stop and think or listen and learn. It is highly effective in my room.

    September 25th, 2009 at 6:02 am. Permalink.

  38. Colleen replied:

    I am also trying not to repeat any answers given to students. It’s a difficult thing, as I find myself trying to process what is said and what I am trying to get them to understand from the lesson. It can be tricky, but it will allow students to learn to listen to their peers.

    September 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm. Permalink.

  39. Colleen replied:

    I was just planning a review for our animals test coming up in a few weeks. I was looking over our strategies from class this summer and saw “Chalk Talk.” You’ll remember that’s the one when students move silently, as a group, from one chart to another, adding info they recall. I will post different vocabulary words such as carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, predator, prey, and habitat. Students will be able to define the words and write animals that fit the category. I think the kids will enjoy this and it will be a great review. Does anyone have any suggestions before I implement the lesson? I’ll let you know how it turns out!

    September 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm. Permalink.

  40. Colleen replied:

    I like the idea of having a clue that fits multiple famous Americans. I have many strong personalities in my class that I could see trying to prove that their answer is correct. It would be a great lesson to show that there’s not always one right answer and that we need to listen to all possible answers. I’ll be using the same lesson for my third graders. Thanks for the idea!

    September 26th, 2009 at 3:09 pm. Permalink.

  41. Colleen replied:

    I was leafing through our book again and took notice to page 185– all about “Piggybacking.” Its when you get an idea because of something you heard. It will be great to teach students this. It would be neat too to teach students to say that they had piggybacked off another student. I’ll let you know how this strategy works too!

    September 26th, 2009 at 3:28 pm. Permalink.

  42. Katherine Curl replied:

    I too feel that the class helped me to become more aware of how much wait time or lack of wait time has been incorporated into my lessons. This has helped me and it has helped the students.

    September 29th, 2009 at 7:57 am. Permalink.

  43. Katherine Curl replied:

    I have found that due to my own awkwardness with the process, I have shared with the students that I will be pausing after one answer has been given, when I think that question could have additional responses. This has helped me as well as the students understand the purpose of the Wait Time II

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:00 am. Permalink.

  44. Katherine Curl replied:

    I have decided that informing the students about the new process of Wait Time II and including them directly in the objective, they have been more responsive and I have felt more comfortable with the new process.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:01 am. Permalink.

  45. Katherine Curl replied:

    I think that is an awesome idea to help the shy students get into the main stream. What a neat way to use games and group response time, yet still maintain the individual response. Like that idea.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:05 am. Permalink.

  46. Katherine Curl replied:

    I think the concept of Wait Time can add a sense of ease and calm to students. The pressure to think fast and retrieve information quickly can really discourage students. Wait time allows students recognize that thinking is not always a quick action, but meaningful thinking requires some pondering.
    Of course there are some students who would pick up on the concept of “I’m pondering.” and might take advantage of that.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:19 am. Permalink.

  47. Katherine Curl replied:

    I love that strategy of having the student repeat what others have said and summarize. That is a listening lesson in itself and can only help students for the rest of their lives. Love that idea. I teach that separately in Social Skills, but it is an across the curriculum skill and having them verbally summarize just carries the skill into their every day academics.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:23 am. Permalink.

  48. Katherine Curl replied:

    What an awesome idea. This way the students are aware of the various levels of questions and responses. They will be more likely to challenge themselves to go higher once they are equipped with the awareness of the levels.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:28 am. Permalink.

  49. Katherine Curl replied:

    I have found the same thing. Wait Time 2 has been much more of a challenge. I felt awkward and that spreads the awkwardness to the students. I have begun telling the students about the WT2 and sharing the purpose with them. This has put them more at ease and helped the situation.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:42 am. Permalink.

  50. Katherine Curl replied:

    I loved reading all the statements and the responses. This is the first time I have participated in an online community and it has been very positive. Once I figures out the technology to get to the specific place on the site, it was good to go.

    September 29th, 2009 at 8:46 am. Permalink.

  51. Hildegard Poeppel-Canfield replied:

    I have stopped repeating answers given by students, even when I am tempted to make corrections with their grammar or pronunciation. I teach ESL and it is very tempting, but when I listen to the answer I try not to repeat the answer.

    September 29th, 2009 at 3:22 pm. Permalink.

  52. Marcelle Hicks replied:

    Melissa, I teach 5th grade but I feel you may be able to habe dividers as I have. I had a parent cut three sections of posterboard, tape and laminate them together. These are the children’s dividers. They are basically in their own “box” or “stall”. Believe it or not, they like the privacy. I believe each section is about 12 x 14. Your children could write down their answer and then hold it up without another student seeing it. What do you think?

    October 1st, 2009 at 5:54 pm. Permalink.

  53. Marcelle Hicks replied:

    I have not had my students repeat what others have said but I’m going to do that tomorrow. That is a very good idea. You ask a child a question, he answers, then you ask another child a different question, and he must summarize before he answers the question you gave him. Is that how it goes?

    October 1st, 2009 at 5:59 pm. Permalink.

  54. Leslie Phares replied:

    We also had the general ed. teacher and me in the middle of the classroom and the students got to make up the questions. Then the other teacher and I would race to the corner that we thought matched the questions that the kids were asking. It was hysterical and the kids really thought of some great questions. They loved playing the “teacher” role :)

    October 5th, 2009 at 1:32 pm. Permalink.

  55. Anne-Marie Slinkman replied:

    It took a while for the students to become comfortable with the silence after a question is asked. When wait time 2 was first used, they seemed confused at first. Now they understand that there may be more opportunities to answer, and that they can add to the response of another student. It has really opened up discussions in my room. I have found that it is more effective with my older students, but can be used with the younger ones if I guide the discussion closely.

    October 7th, 2009 at 12:09 pm. Permalink.

  56. Anne-Marie Slinkman replied:

    I think that I may have to do that, Katherine, because sometimes it is just really awkward. My younger students sometimes seem really uncomfortable and apprehensive to speak. If they are aware of the process maybe they will be more willing to participate.

    October 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm. Permalink.

  57. Anne-Marie Slinkman replied:

    I responded to your post above about the same thing, Katherine. I think that I will start to explain the process to the kids, and that might help generate some energy. My older kids have adjusted pretty well, but the younger kids have been more confused about the process. It is also hard with time restraints, as I teach the entire school and only see each class for 40 minutes of so each week. I need to get everything in, and that is always a tough thing to do!

    October 7th, 2009 at 12:20 pm. Permalink.

  58. Anne-Marie Slinkman replied:

    I think that I could definitely use this activity with my kids. I have a student teacher right now, so implementing things from the class has been slow, but I plan to do a 4 corners activity shortly. I think that it would be a great warm up for a lesson. “Art is like…” or “painting is like…”.

    October 7th, 2009 at 12:28 pm. Permalink.

  59. Anne-Marie Slinkman replied:

    I have had the hardest time with that! I am afraid that all of the kids didn’t hear, or I want to tweak that answer just a bit for the class, so I repeat it. I think that I am going to have to really try to do this. It is not natural for me to do, and I have failed so far!

    October 7th, 2009 at 12:31 pm. Permalink.

  60. Colleen replied:

    I love the idea of the teachers answering the kids’ questions! They’ll be motivated to do their best because they love trying to stump the teacher. Thanks for another great idea Leslie!

    October 7th, 2009 at 1:59 pm. Permalink.

  61. Colleen replied:

    I taught this to my students today. I modeled it during a reading lesson in which one of my students mentioned an answer. I told the kids that his answer really made me think. I told them that his thinking got me thinking and remembering about an experience I had that related to the book. They were excited to know that they were part of the discussion and helped create new ideas. A quick, but very effective lesson on metacognition.

    October 7th, 2009 at 2:03 pm. Permalink.

  62. Linda Korpics replied:

    We are pretty good and wait time one but continue to need practice and patience with wait time 2.

    October 8th, 2009 at 3:03 pm. Permalink.

  63. Hildwgard replied:

    I thought this would be difficult for me to implement since I teach ESL to KG and first graders, but these ideas have inspired me. I think I will use it next week with “Fall is like …..”.
    We have been discussing how you can tell it’s fall and many have such varied background experiences. I t should be very interesting.

    October 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pm. Permalink.

  64. Hildwgard replied:

    I do like the idea of using a stuffed animal or “talking stick” to have students answer. I have had the problem that some o f my more vocal students will blurt out the answers and some of my shy students don’t get to answer. I will start with this technique next week, but an important part of this will be that the students will get to have the chance to just pass the “talking stick” to another student if they feel uncomfortable answering the question. Of course, I can already see, that I will have to have a system to limit the “freebies”.
    I’ll have the weekend to come up with a system.

    October 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pm. Permalink.

  65. Hildegard replied:

    Well, I am not exactly perfect myself. Sometimes my students answer in such broken English that I have to help them to phrase it so everyone can understand, but then I have the student repeat the answer so they still have ownership.

    October 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pm. Permalink.

  66. Gaynell replied:

    Powerful strategy for building listening skills.

    October 12th, 2009 at 9:17 am. Permalink.

  67. Gaynell replied:

    Thanks for sharing how it went :)

    October 12th, 2009 at 9:30 am. Permalink.

  68. Sarah replied:

    That is great! I have been using it with my kids, and when I don’t use it they ask where it is.

    October 12th, 2009 at 10:54 am. Permalink.

  69. Sarah replied:

    I’ve been doing this for a few years now, and it is still difficult for me to not repeat answers. We always want to make sure that students hear what is said, and some students have a hard time speaking up for everyone to hear. Because you are cognizant of it, I am sure that you are already improving in this area.

    October 12th, 2009 at 11:00 am. Permalink.

  70. Jutine replied:

    I do love using this one with my students, too! It’s a way for them to “piggyback” in a different way – silently and in writing. They see an idea that sparks their memory or a new idea and they are able to come up with more responses. I sometimes tell my students that they can’t write on the paper for the first minute they are at a new poster so that they have to read what has already been written. This helps them slow down and think about the topic before they start writing. Good luck!

    October 12th, 2009 at 1:30 pm. Permalink.

  71. Stacey Edmonds replied:

    I agree with what Courtney says about being pretty good @ wait time 1 already but Wait time 2 is a little more awkward. Like Katherine, I also explained what I was doing so that the students would understand better. Another thing I am doing better is not repeating the student’s answers. Like with Wait time 2, I explained that to the students. It definitely has forced them to be better listeners. With all 3 things going on, I feel as though they are developing into a class of respectful participants!

    October 12th, 2009 at 3:27 pm. Permalink.

  72. Stacey Edmonds replied:

    I really like Jamie’s thought about being a “facilitator” and not a “leader” of the discussion. As teachers, we so often seem to want to be in the spotlight! (or maybe that’s just me…) I also incorporate a thumbs up/down after a response is given to see if others agree. If they don’t, I ask why and if they do, I ask why. I don’t always ask why or why not, and it’s not always one or the other. This technique is esp. good with math b/c there can be alternative ways to solve a problem. It also allows students to help their peers rather than me doing it all of the time and it seems to be less intimidating to the student who is answering.

    October 12th, 2009 at 3:33 pm. Permalink.

  73. Robin Goodman replied:

    I have really worked hard to differentiate my questions more by using blooms. I took another class this summer, Jacob’s Ladder, which provided us w/ a lot of information to do this. I feel that I am more aware of the type of questions that I ask since taking these classes.

    October 13th, 2009 at 10:37 am. Permalink.

  74. Robin Goodman replied:

    I agree! I am trying really hard to do this as well. I do feel sometimes that time is a difficult thing to challenge. I wish I had more of it. I am trying to remember that it is the quality of my lessons that will help the children more in the future (such as being better problem solvers), then how many different things I can cover in a certain amount of time. Robin

    October 13th, 2009 at 10:45 am. Permalink.

  75. Robin Goodman replied:

    Wait time II is more challenging, but it is well worth the effort. When I give wait time II, which I constantly am working on, the children explain their answers. add on, or even at times have self-corrected themselves. I think that it is a benefit for all the children in the class, high and low learners. Robin

    October 18th, 2009 at 2:20 pm. Permalink.

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