Play 4
Turn and talk
What is it?
Turn and talk, a strategy from Teach Like a Champion (TLAC), is a short, contained, pair discussion. It can be used before cold calling to increase confidence and quality of responses.
Why is it important?
It boosts participation ratio: you can ask a question, use the cue ‘turn and talk’ and every student in your class will be thinking and talking about your question.
It increases confidence: turn and talk allows less confident speakers to rehearse with a partner before they are required to speak in front of the class. You can listen in for valuable comments and use it to ‘warm call' - when you let them know you'll be calling on them to share their response. They become more willing and more confident to share their responses as a result.
It is a useful strategy when the class appears stuck: when you ask a question and it becomes obvious very few know the answer, you can switch the task to turn and talk to allow the class a chance to share their knowledge with their peers before trying cold call again.
What to do:
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| Intellectually prepare (IP) Plan ahead for questions you know students will benefit from the opportunity to share with a partner before being asked. This may be for questions that are slightly trickier. | Pose a question From swivel position, call for SLANT. Front load your question with the expectation for a SHAPE response. Ask the question. Make sure the wording of the question is precise and concise. | Thinking time Allow adequate thinking time. Allow silence to facilitate students’ thinking. Do not be tempted to fill the silence by overly explaining or repeating the question. Be seen looking as they think. | Turn and talk Make this rapid. Use the phrase ‘turn and talk’ as a cue for students to turn to their table partner and discuss the answer to the question. The class should crackle to life - inject energy through your instruction. Be seen looking. | Cold or warm call Warm call: as they discuss, go to a less confident speaker and listen to their responses. Let them know you'll be calling on them to share their response using SHAPE. Cold call: ask the question first, allow thinking time to ensure all students are taking part in the thinking, pick a student to share their response using SHAPE. |
