Establishing a Culture of Talk:

Constructing Norms and Procedures

A Discussion is about…• Asking questions and posing problems

• Voicing ideas using evidence• Listening to others• Monitoring for rigor• Responding to different ideas• Constructing understanding

The goal of a discussion is to engage in rigorous talk!

What makes a discussion rigorous?

• Content is meaningful• Understanding is deepened • More than one person participates• Everyone has an equitable voice• Participants clearly communicate

ideas, using evidence• Different ideas and opinions are

valued• Participants actively listen

How do I design a classroom where rigorous

talk is central? Consider the classroom’s layout:• What message does the placement of the furniture give?• Where is the teacher’s desk located?• How are students’ desks arranged?  

When desks are facing front in rows, what message is being communicated?

• The teacher is responsible for delivering content.• Students only need to listen when the teacher is talking.• Questions and responses between the teacher and

students are one-on-one conversations.

What are some configurations conducive to classroom discussions?

Groupings of 4-6 desks are ideal for small group discussions when you want groups of students to work together to solve a problem.

A horseshoe or circle of desks allows everyone to participate.

These configurations send the message:We are all teachers; everyone’s voice is equal.

The room is configured. What do I

do now?

Some teachers establish norms and procedures before engaging students

in talk…

A teacher might post norms and procedures prior to the start of the school year. This sends the message: I have high expectations and I’m confident you can achieve them.

Another teacher might establish norms and procedures with the class at the start of the school year. This sends the message:We are a community of learners. Your ideas matter.

Norms• One person talks at a time• Participants should look at the

speaker• Be respectful of differing

opinions• Be prepared to participateProcedures• Transform the classroom set up

in a safe and orderly way• Have materials ready• Leave the room in the

condition you found it

Norms and procedures that a teacher posts prior to the start of the school year might look something like this:

A teacher who chooses to establish norms and procedures with the

class before a discussion might …

• Accept and list all student ideas

• Categorize them to condense the list

• Agree on 3-5 rules• “Try them out” during a

classroom discussion• Talk about what

worked/didn’t work and edit the list as needed

*

Ask students for input on what is needed for a rigorous discussion:

When the teacher has a norm or procedure they would like to add, a good strategy to use is to ask the class:“What do you think about…?”

By inviting the students into the process, the teacher gives the students’

ownership.

Some teachers establish norms and

procedures in response to “dilemmas” that arise during a first

classroom discussion…

The teacher poses a provocative question:*Do schools have the right to use students’ social networking posts as evidence for imposing consequences?

*Should students have the right to use cell phones in school?

*Should recess be eliminated to provide more time for instruction?

Questions like this “hook” students in a lively discussion that usually begins by itself. Inevitably “dilemmas” occur:

*How can we hear if everyone talks at once?

*How can we ensure all students have an equal voice? *Should there be a protocol for disagreements?

Norms and procedures are developed in response to these quandaries. The class “tries them out” during a discussion, edits them after determining their effectiveness, and fine tunes them to develop norms and procedures the students believe they can live with.

The students now have some experience with what it feels like to work with one another in constructing or refining knowledge. Most likely, they also have experience with what it feels like to have content delivered to them via lecture.

 

Ask the students: •Which fits their learning styles best?•Should a classroom always be one way or the other? •When does a lecture work? •When does it work to share one’s understanding about the content?

Once norms and procedures have been

established, it’s important to post them

in the classroom and revisit them often!

To learn more about

Establishing a Culture of Talk

please email us at:launch@msu.edu