In our last after-school tip, we discussed the importance of mixing it up a little and having kids of different ages work together. This tip addresses the power of letting the kids do the talking. In this tip I’d like to share ideas for facilitating more and talking less-in short, working on being a “guide on the side” so that the children do the majority of the talking and thinking.
There are many ways we can do this, but for many of us it’s a change in how we work with kids. It’s also often a new experience for the kids! Allow yourself and your kids time to adjust to this new way of working together. It won’t happen overnight, but with practice you will succeed. Here are some facilitation tips to keep in mind as you consider adjusting to this way of leading:
Ask open-ended questions. Avoid yes/no questions that provide little feedback to inform your decisions. Think of what you will get from your kids if you ask an open-ended question like, “What would you like to do differently next time?” rather than “Should we do it differently next time?”
Use wait-time. Of course, you may not get thoughtful responses if you don’t allow your children adequate time to think about their answers. You must wait for kids to answer. If you slowly count to 10 in your head, most of the time you will get an answer. It may seem awkward at first, but you-and the kids-will get used to it. Children appreciate the opportunity to be heard; be an active listener and you will be amazed by what you learn.
Give every child a chance to talk. It’s easy for a few confident, outgoing children to monopolize a discussion. To give all children ample opportunities to be heard, here are some strategies and facilitation techniques to try during discussion or brainstorming time:
- Think, Pair, Share Use this technique after you have asked an open-ended question. First, give the children time to think, and then have them turn to the person next to them and discuss the answer to the question. Finally, have a group discussion.
- Think, Pair, Write As in “Think, Pair, Share”, children think for a few minutes individually before talking with a partner. The children then write their ideas down. Pairs may then be asked to share their writing with another pair or with the class.
- Heads Together In this exercise, groups of four students discuss a question among themselves. Groups may then share their thinking with the other groups.
- Turn to Your Partner Allow children to have a discussion with a partner to answer a question. By allowing each child to turn and talk to the person next to them, all the children get a chance to speak. If you ask a question and only call on a couple of children to answer, most of the kids do not get a chance to respond.
Now it’s your turn. Ask yourself: who is talking more, you or your kids? What are you doing to give the kids more time to talk? What are your biggest challenges with the issues raised in this post?