Listening  is an essential part of the “turn and talk” strategy we encourage educators to apply in classrooms. Check out  the tips below,  excerpted from, “Adding Talk To The Equation” by Lucy West. Put them into practice to create a classroom that fosters high-quality listening and deep learning. 

Set Clear, Explicit, and High Expectations for Both Speakers and Listeners

To create an environment conducive to learning, establish conversational norms that teach students how to engage in discussions. My preference is to create a list with student input by asking them what they think would be important as they respectfully converse. Add items to the list that are  important. This list, along with sentence starters such as, “I agree/disagree with ______    when he said  ______   because,” can be posted as anchor charts to refer to when we are building the culture of dialogue. Conversational norms for student discussions follow:

•  Face and look at the speaker.
•  Speak loud enough for everyone to hear you. (The teacher does not repeat for the student when the student cannot be heard; instead, the teacher instructs the speaker to try again.)
• Signal for the speaker to speak louder if you cannot hear.
• Focus on what the speaker is saying and do your best to understand his comments.
• Listen so well you can restate the speaker’s point or ask a clarifying question.
• Be prepared to be called on whether or not you volunteered.
• Be prepared to restate what was said prior to agreeing, disagreeing, adding on, or changing the topic.
• Wait patiently while others think and prepare to speak or sort through confusion. Be willing to assist others when asked and to ask for help when you are not following.
• Ask questions until you understand.

Metamorphosis is here to assist you to cultivate robust student discourse that improves and deepens learning while also building confidence.