A few ideas for generating more student conversation
It seems to be a year of extremes; either students won’t stop speaking to one another in class or they hardly say a word. My 2nd graders love to talk. they are a social bunch, they love their classmates, and they love sharing. We have a can’t miss morning meeting every day so they can share what’s on their mind, we have a lot of chat throughout the day. All of it productive, even if it is not the right time.
But what if your students don’t really engage in conversations with each other? Teaching middle school for many years, I would sometimes have classes where one/word answers where the norm, the fear of making a fool out of oneself so strong that even without our classroom, mouths stayed shut and opinions stayed hidden away.
How do we cultivate classroom connections for all of our students? How do we harness the awesome energy that comes from students who want to speak to each other but help it become more learning-focused?
Here are a few ideas for doing just that…
Guess the Source: Provide quotes or excerpts from different sources related to the lesson. Have students guess the source and discuss the context and the credibility.
Soundtrack to the Lesson: Ask students to choose a song that represents the essence of the lesson. Play snippets of the selected songs in class and have them discuss the connections they saw between the music and the material.
Philosophical Chairs: Set up a circle of chairs with sides for “agree,” “disagree,” and “undecided.” Pose a statement and have students physically move to express their stance.Have them turn to an elbow partner to express why they sat where they sat.
Time Capsule Discussion: Imagine creating a time capsule for the school year. Discuss what items or memories students would include and why.
Speed Networking: Students pair up and have a short, timed conversation (e.g., 2 minutes) about a non-academic topic, such as topics found here. Rotate and repeat with new partners.
Problem-Solving Circles: Present a real-world problem related to the lesson. Students discuss possible solutions in small groups and present their findings to the class.
Tech-Free Talk Time: Designate a short period each week for “Tech-Free Talk Time.” What do they already know about a topic? How long can they keep a conversation going without turning to a device to check a statement or learn more? What are the questions they wish they could have used tech to answer? Write them down.
Tech-Enhanced Show and Tell: Combine traditional show and tell with technology. Students bring in an object related to the lesson and create a brief digital presentation. This one is super fun for older students who often don’t get to do a “show and tell.” Another twist is to ask students to bring in their most precious item / or a picture of it – have them share with the class why this is the item they brought in.
Life Soundtrack:If their life had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it? Students share their top three songs and explain why each is significant.
Interactive Storytelling: Begin a story related to the lesson and pause at a crucial point. Each student or group continues the story.
And a few I shared on Instagram as well
Are any of these helpful?
