Hands Back Hands Forward

In my own teaching practice, I observed master teachers, borrowed from their methods, and eventually developed a process that worked for me.  One of my major concerns was a habit of asking questions to the whole class, and calling on the first hand.  Inevitably, there are one or two students who will always be ready, and usually have the right answer.  However, this habit can marginalize students who are shy, not as fast, or passive by failing to involve more than the one or two students in the question.

To address this, I began using hand signals.  By reformulating my questioning technique, I could ask a question and have all of the students respond to multiple choice, true/false, agree/disagree, or point to the answer. For example,

“Show me on your fingers which paragraph contains the answer.”

“Thumbs up/thumbs down, do you agree or disagree with Charlie’s answer?”

“Show me on your fingers, is this (1) igneous, (2) metamorphic, or (3) sedimentary?”

“I’ll know that you are ready when you are pointing to the title.”

By incorporating non-verbal signals, students could respond freely, simultaneously, and demonstrate engagement without dominating the conversation or interrupting each other. Without singling anyone out, I could give positive feedback,

“I see the correct answer here, over there…

“I see all of Table 6 is ready.”

Even the most shy of my students participated in showing what they were thinking, and being recognized for their good ideas. Regardless of whether or not they had the right answers, they were engaged. No learners could hide out, or avoid participating by sitting quietly, not making eye contact.

Eventually, I also incorporated a system that ensured an equitable chance of being called on.  Each student was assigned a “roster number”, from 1 to 36, which were written on popsicle sticks and kept in a large, clear beaker. In the course of the lecture/discussion, I would ask an open-ended question, then draw a stick from the beaker, and hold it up for the class to see.  Students could answer, ask for think time, or pass.

If they answered correctly, their stick would go into a second cup, number down. If the student passed or answered incorrectly, their stick went into a pile on the table.  By the end of a fifty-minute period, I would usually have called on almost all of the students. At the end of each class, I’d draw one stick at random from those who answered correctly, and the student could choose a pencil, sticker, eraser, etc. from the goodies box.

This process dramatically increased their attention, participation, and engagement in class, ensuring that each student could have a turn. The same system could be used for each of the six class periods I taught, and the numbered sticks were an excellent way to assign random seats, partners, and groups with little fuss.