I have never been very skilled at getting students to raise their hands. When having students do conversations in front of the whole class, I would either have no one raise their hands or always have the same few students doing it every class. So one day I came up with an idea that has worked exceptionally well. So I thought I would share this idea in case it can help others.
Imagine a classroom of 36 students, 6 rows with 6 students in each row. When doing pair work, I make pairs between the front and back student. So if there are 6 students in a row, you would have the 1st and 2nd student be a pair, then the 3rd and 4th, then the 5th and 6th.
Now, after practicing, you instruct the pairs to Jan-ken (rock paper scissors). The winner of each pair will stand up. Now you have 3 students standing in each row. Then you instruct those 3 students in each row to Jan-ken again, and the winner will remain standing. In the end, you will have 1 student standing in each row, a total of 6 students.
These 6 students will now have to do a presentation and they will receive a participation point for doing so. They will also choose a partner from anyone who is seated. They can choose their original partner. They can choose their friend across the room. But whoever they choose will also get a participation point.
When doing question and answer pair-work, the Jan-ken winners will ask the question. The student they chose will answer it. When doing an A / B conversation, the Jan-ken winners will take the role of A. The student they chose will be B.
I cannot express how much of a difference this has made for my classes. The first 6 winners being randomly chosen through Jan-ken (rock paper scissors) means there is no animosity from students for being chosen. On the contrary, they are actually pretty excited while doing Jan-ken. It also allows them the freedom to choose who their partner will be, rather than being chosen by the teacher.
I hope that this method helps someone. I’m sure others have their own ways of doing things. But I just wanted to share something that has made a world of difference in my classes.
5 comments
I also use a name wheel or just pick randomly from a set of paper slips with names or numbers on them. janken is also a great thing, it makes it seem like it isn’t you forcing them to work but they just lost or had back luck.
I personally use this one:
https://wheelofnames.com
I haven’t used this method personally, but the premise is that a student is randomly picked rather than picked directly by you. I agree that this is a great system! I created a random number generator that I can use to pick a random number from between 1 and the final student on the register’s number, inclusive. Same premise, different execution. I find it really helpful!
Random seating and pair selection is great, all done by rng and janken for me, but I also have to ask, what do you see as the benefit of having students present in front of everyone? Is that an effective use of everyone’s time, in your view?
Asking Siri or Google or what have you for a number between 1 and however many students there is also helpful.
I used that when I was an ALT. Now I run my classes solo and my kids know that participation is part of their score. Much easier, but not available to everyone, I guess – unless you talk to your co-teacher…
If you have students write their names on Daiso playing cards you can use simple magic techniques such as card forces and false shuffles to make a teachers choice seem random.