How do you transform your classroom to a student centered classroom?
In the beginning of the year, you want to introduce Teach Like A Champion’s: Habits of Discussion. You want to spend time explicitly showing your students these expectations. This will be the start to ensure that you are creating a culture of student led discussion.
Let’s Talk More About HOW…
You want to model and set expectations for discussion. In the beginning of the year, you should model the discussion. If you have 2 adults in your classroom, you can do a fishbowl so your students see what you expect from them. If you are the only adult, you can model with another student but think aloud about how you want to respond in the discussion.
In the beginning of the year, you want to allow your students time to practice, so they can build on the skill. Students should continuously practice the habits of discussion. Reintroduce 1-3 habits a day for your students to practice. Let your student know that they will ultimately be responsible for the flow of conversations so practicing is crucial.
It is also important that you provide students with a rubric. This rubric will allow students to see what is expected of them. This rubric is simple but it also lets my students know exactly what I want to see and gives them something to aim for.
When you begin student led discussions for the first time, you want to incorporate all of these aspects: modeling, time to practice, and providing students with a rubric. Since this is new for them, I have always used the gradual release model. We conduct student led discussions as a whole class. I facilitate the discussion, remind my students to use habits of discussion and we review the rubric. I gradually release my students into small group discussions and gradually increase the time of those discussions.
This is first up in the Series: Fostering Student Led Discussions. Come back next week for: Feedbacks and Debriefs on Student Discussions!
inspire innovators 