"I love seeing blank stares from my students after posing a question about what we are learning," said no teacher ever. Still, we have all been there. While many students sit like logs, waiting for someone to act on them, equally discouraging are the hogs, those four or five students who always have their hand up. I'm not immune to the situation, bet here are three strategies that I use in my classroom that help to engage all students in discussions that you might consider using too.
House of Cards
When students walk into my classroom, I'm always at the door to greet them. Occasionally, I have a deck of playing cards with me as well. "Take a card," I mandate, as they move through the doorway. Once each student has a card, I have a way of engaging all learners.
"Do I have any 7s?" I'll ask after drawing a card out of the remainder of the deck. All of those students who have a 7, of any suit, then raise their hand for me to choose from. If no one happened to draw a 7, I might turn to the suit. "No 7s? Where are my clubs, then?"
I have students leave their card face up on their desk so that I know that none of them are trying to go under the radar. Visibility is also important for group sharing. "I need my spades to meet over here to discuss question 3, while hearts meet over there."
"Do I have any 7s?" I'll ask after drawing a card out of the remainder of the deck. All of those students who have a 7, of any suit, then raise their hand for me to choose from. If no one happened to draw a 7, I might turn to the suit. "No 7s? Where are my clubs, then?"
I have students leave their card face up on their desk so that I know that none of them are trying to go under the radar. Visibility is also important for group sharing. "I need my spades to meet over here to discuss question 3, while hearts meet over there."
Hollywood Mingle
Movement is a great way to get students participating. And this technique will induce laughter at the same time.
If students are growing restless, or I simply want to shake things up, I'll tell them that we are going to have a "Hollywood Mingle" to discuss this next concept or question. All students know what this means: stand up, push in your chair, and assume the position!
Pirates! Spys! Slowmotion Cartoons! I choose a theme, and my students safely move throughout the room as if they are in the middle of a movie scene as one of these characters. After signaling them to "Cut action!" each student finds another whom is closes to him or her in the room to quickly pair up with to discuss what we have been learning. "Lights! Cameras! . . ." and we are ready to roll again.
If students are growing restless, or I simply want to shake things up, I'll tell them that we are going to have a "Hollywood Mingle" to discuss this next concept or question. All students know what this means: stand up, push in your chair, and assume the position!
Pirates! Spys! Slowmotion Cartoons! I choose a theme, and my students safely move throughout the room as if they are in the middle of a movie scene as one of these characters. After signaling them to "Cut action!" each student finds another whom is closes to him or her in the room to quickly pair up with to discuss what we have been learning. "Lights! Cameras! . . ." and we are ready to roll again.
Poker Face
Slightly similar to the "House of Cards" strategy, "Poker Face" requires me to bring an ample supply of red, blue, and white poker chips, and hand two or three out to each student to begin each class period.
"James, if you know the answer to this question, you can take one chip away from any of the students sitting around you." Slowly, but surely, a sample of my classroom becomes very territorial.
It is an incentive-based game. If you get a question right, you get to take a chip away from someone else and add it to your cache. If you get it wrong, the chip is thrown into "the pot" which can be won on certain "bonus" questions (recommended to be asked to reluctant students).
This can be done as every student for himself or herself, paired teams, or small groups. Whichever way you choose to use it, all students get competitive with "Poker Face". It's almost as if blank stares never even existed.
"James, if you know the answer to this question, you can take one chip away from any of the students sitting around you." Slowly, but surely, a sample of my classroom becomes very territorial.
It is an incentive-based game. If you get a question right, you get to take a chip away from someone else and add it to your cache. If you get it wrong, the chip is thrown into "the pot" which can be won on certain "bonus" questions (recommended to be asked to reluctant students).
This can be done as every student for himself or herself, paired teams, or small groups. Whichever way you choose to use it, all students get competitive with "Poker Face". It's almost as if blank stares never even existed.
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