Picture this.
You are sitting in a classroom. Maybe it’s an early childhood classroom and all the children are sitting around listening to a story. Or maybe it is an Elementary classroom and the teacher is working with a small group of students solving real-world fraction problems. Or maybe you are in a High School Science class and the students are learning about biodiversity. Doesn’t really matter which classroom you choose to sit in. Just pick one and get comfortable.
The teacher poses a question. Maybe she asks her preschoolers, “Where did the bear go next?” or maybe he asked his 5th grade math students, “What is the answer to number 5?” or maybe she asked her High School Science Students, “How do beings evolve over time”? Again, strange enough, it doesn’t really matter which classroom you are in. It doesn’t really matter which age you are working with. And it doesn’t really matter the content being taught.
If you have ever been in a classroom (and chances are you certainly have), I’m sure you know what will happen next. After asking that question, the teacher will say, “Raise your hand if you know the answer.”
You’ve seen this strategy used time-and-time again. I’m sorry to say while it is certainly the easiest and most used strategy in classrooms across our globe, it has proven to be the least effective. Why? When our most used strategy for student responses involves the teacher asking a question and then requesting, “Raise your hand,” we are actually uninviting most of our class to respond. Using this strategy, we don’t ask all of our students to answer, nor do they really need to. Using this strategy just creates “Happy Hand Raisers,” who are always called on and quick to answer, while the rest of the class is daydreaming away. Probably on a beach somewhere. Trends begin to form in our classrooms, where the same students answer question-after-question, while the rest of the class can simply sit back and let it happen.
So, what can teachers do instead?
There are a variety of “Response Rate” Strategies that teachers can use to increase student engagement and move away from “Raise your hand if you know the answer.” Each of the strategies are extremely simple to use, involve absolutely no preparation on the part of the teacher, and have the power to impact the learning for EVERY student in your class (not just your “Happy Hand Raiser.”) Might you be encouraged to give another strategy a try?
- Random Strategy: Using index cards, popsicle sticks or a class list with student names on them, call on students randomly. Be sure to call the child’s name (to first get their attention) and then ask the question. Consider starting this strategy by providing the question and giving students an opportunity to pair & share before calling on a random student. Expert Tip: After calling their name, put their card/stick back in the pile to be called on again. Just because they already answered a question today, doesn’t mean they are off-the-hook!
- Choral Response: Provide the question and ask all of your students to respond together (like a chorus). Be sure to set expectations about the expected Voice Level and when to begin. Expert Tip: Be sure to recall some of the student’s answers by repeating them back, “In the response, I heard several of you say …….”
- Non-Verbal Response: Ask your students to respond non-verbally with a thumbs up/thumbs down. This is a great strategy for “checking the temperature” of your class by checking for understanding in a non-threatening way. Expert Tip: After posing the question, monitor the classroom to see which students are also looking around in hopes to “borrow” an answer from a peer; make note of this child’s struggles and follow-up with some review or individualize instruction in the future. Be cautious when using this strategy to ask the rest of the class if they agree/disagree with another student’s answer; this is a punitive and judgmental strategy that impedes learning overall.
- Chain Reaction: In this strategy, a teacher poses a question and after a student answers/doesn’t answer, additional children are called on to add-on to clarify the previous answer. When a child doesn’t know an answer, consider using the “Phone a Friend” strategy. This allows them to ask others in the classroom what the answer may be, have another child answer it and then come back to decide whether they agree/disagree and further answer the question themselves. Expert Tip: When you have 3-4 students in the loop and none of them know the answer, take this as your cue to complete a quick review or mini-lesson. Then, ask your question and monitor for understanding.
- Written Response: Want every student to respond? Why not ask them to do so in writing? Pose the question and give them time to respond in writing. Not only does this require every student to participate, but after reading their responses you will know just what to do to plan your lessons for tomorrow. You can clearly see which students understand the concept, as well as all the misconceptions your students may have. Expert Tip: This is my favorite strategy to use during transitioning times, or as an “Exit Ticket.” Be sure to give directions for what students are supposed to do when they are finished with their response. Consider that some students will need additional time to answer than others.
Does this mean I should never use my go-to “Raise your hand if you know the answer?” Of course not! There are certainly times when this strategy works best, but keep in mind that there are other strategies that are just as easy to use, but far more effective. Why not challenge yourself to intentionally improve your practice?
Are you looking for a resource to better understand Response Rate Strategies?
Be sure to check out my resource on Teachers Pay Teachers! This resource provides instructional leaders with the “just right” tools to increase the response rates of all students, through a natural coaching cycle. The resource includes everything you need to train your teachers, complete classroom observations, collect data and encourage teachers to set individual goals. Through the training, your teachers will be introduced to no-prep, no-fuss, research-based strategies to increase student response rates, student engagement and academic performance in their classrooms.
