Learning is enhanced in community. Students need opportunities to discuss content, teach what they know, and learn from peers. As such, teachers need to have engagement strategies that allow for such social learning. In the book Creating An Actively Engaged Classroom, authors Todd Whitney, Justin Cooper, and Terrance Scott provide information about several partner and team engagement strategies. Some they mentioned are as follows (pp. 93-118):
- Turn and Talk. Some people know this strategy as Think-Pair-Share. For maximum results, partners should be strategically assigned, and prompts should be carefully crafted. Provide information about the duration of time available for discussion. Strengthen the power of the strategy by requiring a sharing of the response generated.
- Cued Retell. Strategically pair students. Inform them that throughout the lesson, you will periodically stop and ask them to retell the concept to their partner in their own words. Provide students with a prompt. Set a duration, and let students retell. At the conclusion of the discussion period, have students share from their retelling.
- Numbered Heads Together. Strategically assign groups of a consistent size (i.e. groups of three or groups of four). Give each student within the group a number. Provide a prompt for discussion. After the assigned groups discuss, have students group by number to share from their prior discussion. For maximum benefit, have groups report to the entire class at the conclusion of the discussion.
- Four Corners. After presenting content, the teacher asks the students to choose from one of four possible responses. Students are asked to move to the corner that represents the response they would choose. Once at the corner, they discuss the response and prepare a report out for the class.
There are many, many possible group strategies. As you prepare for the week ahead, think of how you might incorporate group engagement strategies into your lessons. You and your students will be glad you did!
Phil Harrison Coaching 