Talking at students instead of with students


Having the privileged of being in a number of schools and classrooms provides a lot of insight into the teacher personality and how teachers teach. For whatever reason we assume that talking ‘at’ students means they are listening and learning. Research shows that this could not be further from the truth. We need to be mindful of how much we talk ‘at’ students. One person in the room should not be doing all the thinking and talking. It is our responsibility to set the scene for learning, provide a stimulating experience and allow students to lead the conversation and thinking. And if we’re doing our jobs properly, we are capturing and connecting the ideas and thinking swirling around.
We have put this to the test and have had teachers use a timer to measure the time spent talking. This has made teachers consider the talk time when coming together.
Let’s consider a few things first:
  • Not every adult in the room has to speak to validate why they are there (if you’re in a co-teaching situation);
  • Say what you need to and let students get on with it;
  • Use a visual so students can clearly see what you mean;
  • Be clear about the learning focus and purpose;
  • If there are clarifying questions, let the students go and address the questions in the mean time.
All pretty obvious things, right?!
Talking for 30-40, hey even 20 minutes while students are on the carpet/desks is a real time waster. There is no better way to turn their enthusiasm for learning off. A lot of those behaviour problems will disappear if we engaged our students more and let them drive their learning. We need to give them the time to do that though.
This is where the speaking ‘with’ students comes in. A wise teacher will set the learning, work the room and have conversations with their students. What an opportunity to learn more about what they are thinking while creating excitement and energy for active learning.
While I understand how simple this reminder is, we need to be mindful of the time we use when setting the learning up for our students.
Have a solid structure in place that allows learning to be more fluid so it can flow. Develop clear systems and expectations that in turn create a culture of empowered learners. This will build more independence with our students. Invite students to take authentic action by giving them time so that they have an opportunity to lead their own learning. This requires a lot of trust. Let them go!
Aim for 10 minutes, say what needs to be said and then hand it over to them. Simple!


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:)