Step Back: Promoting Independent Thinking
Teacher: I want you to look at the task, what I underline, known and unknown. Okay, turn to your neighbor. You need to discuss about how you are going to attack this task. When we do a lot of conversation, we communicate with each other and we give answers of what we know, then we attack the problem. We do a lot of pair/share, share with your neighbor. We also have partner A, you are going to be talking, and partner B, you are going to be silent. Go ahead and discuss, now I'm going to be looking around, checking you out, listening to your conversations. I go around and listen to them and see if they're on the right track, if they're understanding the task, if they know the process, if they have a plan.
I'm going to be asking questions later on, so what did you learn from your partner? What did your partner say? Edith, what did you tell your partner?
Edith: I told my partner that ...
Teacher: She told you?
Edith: We told each other.
Teacher: In your conversations. Okay, what was it?
Edith: That Jake ate 2/3rds of his watermelon.
Teacher: Okay, stop right there. Jake, this is what we know, right? We like to circle our numbers.
I needed to step back and then I see if they are solving the task without me interrupting them or without me giving them feedback or without me scaffolding.
Isaac, come to the board and show everybody. What else do we need to do here?
Isaac: What I think is a line over here. Right there. Then another line going straight down.
Teacher: We have been working a lot on that structure, carefully understanding each other and having ownership of what they know, but also sharing it with somebody else. Can you go ahead and explain what you did? Eyes up here please. Be very respectful.
Isaac: What I did first was my [inaudible 00:02:29] diagram, and I know that Jake cut his watermelon 2/3rds and he ate 2 pieces.
Teacher: We value each other's ideas. We help each other. Everybody participates equally. Everybody is accountable.
Do you have any questions for Sevino? Please ask the question. Kevin?
Kevin: Can we answer? I can prove my answer by ...
Teacher: I love to challenge them. I love to see where they're at at what point. What do they know? What can they bring and show me?
Kevin: Jake eats 2/3rds of his watermelon.
Teacher: Thank you very much. Give him a hand please.
8 Comments
Jose Luna Oct 17, 2023 4:06pm
Awesome. We need to realize that the person (teacher or student) who is doing the talking (about the topic/subject/problem/discovery) is also doing the thinking!
Kids do learn better when thinking rather than immitating!
Teresa Morabito Jun 15, 2022 11:57pm
Devanshi Patel Nov 22, 2017 1:50am
Skylar Dolezel Feb 14, 2017 8:39am
Ronald Gurley Nov 22, 2016 3:54pm