Speak Up! How can we encourage our students’

voices?English 10 and Advanced English 10

Guiding QuestionsHow can I quickly create a classroom environment conducive to discussions?

Why should my students participate in discussions?

Should all students have to discuss?

What else could be included discussion participation?

How can I encourage quiet students to speak up?

Discussions in English 10

Why I chose to use discussions with my English 10 classrooms

Night by Elie Wieselthoughtful serious contentlower reading level

observations of evaluations thus farthoughtful and critical contemplationsfound main themes in novel brought ideas that I had missed

struggling studentsquiet studentshigh-performing students

Creating Conducive Classrooms in English

10Student created rules

Example

Risk-free responsesExample

Preparationnote cards

Difficulties Encountered in English

10Period 1 – opinionated and aggressive paired with the painfully shy

Period 5 – new classroom with quiet students

Period 7 – outspoken and thoughtful, but often overpowered by a few students

Possible Solutions in English10

Each classroom personality is dynamic and unique and strengthening this relationship can alleviate difficulties

Speaking to students individually

Reiteration class rules

Take the pulse – surveys

Online discussions

If all else fails… bribe them with cookies and scratch and sniff stickers!

Conclusions from English 10

Those who typically have trouble with written communication excelled at verbal communication.

Requests to just have full group discussion

Those who excelled in written communication struggled, but were motivated by grades.

Those who were quiet struggled, but made great efforts to participate

volunteering to go firstinitiating a new topicrequesting to be able to take noteswritten reflections

Advanced English 10English 10 went great! Advanced should be fantastic! I’ll just gather some more data and pictures for my inquiry topic!

Advanced 10Startling realization that my Advanced kids don’t seem to want to talk in large group

What in the world do I do?

Mayday! Mayday!

Rethinking my Strategies

I gave out a poll to my studentsThe people demand small groups first

I readjusted my ratios

Ratio ReadjustmentIt worked!

Success!