This is how it typically plays out in a class. A teacher asks a question and one of the students answers back to the teacher. A teacher does sporadic one-to-one communication with a few of the students in the class. The rest of the class is hardly party to the such transactions. The lesson is done. For that matter, this may well be a one-on-one tuition.
When there are 30-50 students grouped together in a class, there are some advantages. A teacher can exploit this number to expand the communication. Some change in attitude and approach can make the communication multi-lateral.
To start with, let the student address the answer to the class, instead of talking to the teacher. Acceptance is greater when one of them is talking to them. Next, let others add on to the answer one by one. Let them re-phrase and re-interpret the answer. Often a teacher will be able to generate the required points solely from such student-to-student discussion.
Lastly, when a student asks a question, bounce it back to the class - does anyone know the answer ? give some clues so that the answer can be (almost) obtained through collective discussion. Finally, rephrase the answer the way you wanted it and make them commit it to the note-book.
Increasingly I find that students are trained to address the teacher, and the teacher alone. A one-way traffic of communication. Making communication multi-lateral increases class participation, builds consensus and grows vocabulary for many more children. And your work as a teacher is done, by the students themselves.
When there are 30-50 students grouped together in a class, there are some advantages. A teacher can exploit this number to expand the communication. Some change in attitude and approach can make the communication multi-lateral.
To start with, let the student address the answer to the class, instead of talking to the teacher. Acceptance is greater when one of them is talking to them. Next, let others add on to the answer one by one. Let them re-phrase and re-interpret the answer. Often a teacher will be able to generate the required points solely from such student-to-student discussion.
Lastly, when a student asks a question, bounce it back to the class - does anyone know the answer ? give some clues so that the answer can be (almost) obtained through collective discussion. Finally, rephrase the answer the way you wanted it and make them commit it to the note-book.
Increasingly I find that students are trained to address the teacher, and the teacher alone. A one-way traffic of communication. Making communication multi-lateral increases class participation, builds consensus and grows vocabulary for many more children. And your work as a teacher is done, by the students themselves.
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