Active Listening

Who is?  Who isn’t?

Making it possible for all students to participate actively in class talk from time to time is much easier than making certain that all students are listening actively all of the time.  

I use a variety of techniques to ensure students participate actively.  Among them are

·       pulling name sticks out of a cup

·       alternate genders

·       the last student picks the next student.  

The problem with these techniques is that once a student has responded, they feel they don't really have to listen anymore because they've had their turn.  

To help alleviate that problem, I use two variations of the name stick idea.  

·       One variation is that I return the name stick to the cup, but I put it in with the name in the opposite direction of the other sticks so I know who has already been chosen.

·       Another variation is that I have 2 or 3 sets of name sticks in the cup. 

Even with these variations for choosing someone to give an oral response, it doesn't always guarantee that all students are always actively listening.   

 I have always used “think, pair, share” or “turn and talk” and “discuss in your group” to keep students actively engaged.  A new twist that I’ve added to this technique is after students have conferred with a partner, I ask the student to share what his partner said!  (Classroom Discussions:  Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, p. 151, Chapin, 2009)  Needless to say, the first few times I did this the kids looked at me like I had 3 heads!  They had no response!  Not in a hundred years did they expect me to ask them what their partner had said!  I finally let them off the hook and explained.  The students seemed relieved once they understood.  After that, their attention and participation during “turn and talk” improved remarkably.