Stop saying if something is right or wrong is really helpful, it challenge them to defend their thinking and when they get different answers they don't get discouraged right away because they might be right.
@@virluna12 For sure. I'll generally put both answers up and ask 'does anybody want to say why they agree or disagree with one of these' to open it up.
I make sure to take a longer pause after asking a question to give students a chance to think about the answer. This is especially important for my struggling learners that take longer to process information.
It is amazing how simply changing the way you say things can completely change the dynamic of the conversation you have with your students. Thank you for sharing.
For sure. The other day I found myself telling a student that there was a 100s chart if he needed it and immediately I realized I should have just said that there was a 100s chart if he'd like to use one. Saying 'if you need it' makes it sound like he probably shouldn't need it. Always learning.
Last summer I mentioned how much I really liked the idea of avoiding "Does anyone have a question?" and instead asking "What questions do you have?"and "I want to hear some questions about this point before I move on..." I kept hammering this strategy during school this past school year and I can tell you, it is GOLD. Rather than it being a sign of weakness, making asking questions not just OK but a vital part of the lesson led to more inspired comments from the students and furthered their understanding.
Outstanding video, Thom. This is my 27th year of teaching math, yet I still catch myself making some of these mistakes "in the heat of the moment". Love, love, love the idea of "I'm not moving on until you ask 3 questions about this...". This is the beauty of teaching...that you can still learn things that are new and invigorating! I've already passed this on to all of my colleagues and I look forward to using these suggestions tomorrow. Thank you!
Thanks for saying that Jeffrey! That means a lot coming from a seasoned vet like yourself :) Hoping to continue to embrace the growth mindset as you have!
One thing I've trained myself to do is to NOT REPEAT what students say. That way they listen to each other and not me. I'll even counter with asking other students to articulate their understanding of what the other student said and if they agree/disagree and why. It's so vitally important to get students talking about their thinking and try to create debate and conversation wherever possible - it makes math class much more interesting.
While I mostly agree with the motivation behind not repeating a students response, there’s also the consideration that a student may not be able to properly verbalize a specific math idea and could benefit from a teacher stepping in to briefly reword their response. As a student, I think it’s really helpful when teachers clarify the responses of students because it helps us learn how to “speak math”.
@@tinyr101 Fair point. Perhaps the goal should be to not repeat what the students say every time. Often, when I observe my colleagues, I hear them constantly immediately repeat what students say as an automatic reflex. I'd say in those situations have some times where the STUDENT repeats/rewords/clarifies what is initially said. I feel that it is necessary to help cultivate both speaking and listening skills in students.
I will warn you that students will feel uncomfortable with being constantly asked to make up questions. You may need to start out asking for only one or two questions before moving on and slowly build it up. You may need to suggest to them types of responses to give (for example, What's another way to do this problem? Or my favorite...what small extensions could I do to make this a little bit more difficult, as if I put it on a test?) Like anything else it's a skill that must be cultivated. But trust me, it will be worth your time to do so. Thanks again, Thom!
I’ve been doing the what questions do you have. I love it. I also say “it’s okay to not know this. You wouldn’t be in school if you already knew this content.”
Thank you, Thom. These are things that I know instinctively, but that I need to become more deliberate at in my practice. As I am starting to get myself pumped up for this next school year, this is something I will be journaling about to make it a part of me.
I understand that asking students to say if they agree with another student's work or not is kind of important to do in class so people can share and learn, but as a senior in highschool right now, I can feel the dread of all my past classes when a teacher asks the students to explain why I'm wrong. It just feels like the students and the teacher are ganging up against me so I feel embarrassed, especially if it's phrased in a way where it is assumedly so obvious that the other students can see why my work is wrong and they should be able to explain why (not that you did that in your example at all).
Yeah the language is important. 'Why do you disagree?' is different than 'explain why they're wrong.' I almost always tried to justify SOME of the thinking of the student who didn't get it correct by saying something like 'What I really appreciate about Steven's answer is it does approach it from a different perspective, we just got caught up a little in some of the arithmetic but definitely a perspective worth analyzing.'
@@gfontes Actually, wait, I posted the Drive one (just click on 'videos' and it was posted before this one) and I'm editing the 4 Hour Workweek video for this week.
Using a number talk strategy, I ask for answers writing and repeating each one down using a neutral tone. I then ask, who is willing to share why an answer is reasonable or unreasonable? They might say I agree with or disagree with this answer because... Or this answer is reasonable or unreasonable because... Or I want to disagree with myself and change my thinking because...
if the answer was wrong id say "wow i love how you put your effort and how you showed your work" or " i love how confident you were in this problem" and then say but its incorrect bc of this this n that n help out
Well, I see you resigned. I like to say, why did you get that answer, I agree, tell me how you got it. By assuring them they have the right answer, it encourages them to speak.
Sometimes I do use a ‘sarcastic’ tone if it’s something we been working on for some time. Like: ‘are you sure? For real?!’ Then they’re like: ‘ooooh nononono wait...’
