Reply #28: While "banning" students from raising their hands is ridiculous, [View All]

[LWolf]

calling repeatedly on those who raise their hands isn't good practice in the classroom.

It isn't "alienating." It's non-engagement. When a teacher only calls on those who raise their hands, the discussion quickly gets limited to a few students and the teacher, with the rest sitting passively, allowing the discussion to flow past them. That's not good teaching.

Good teaching includes a system to call on students randomly, so that all know they are part of the discussion and are expected to participate, and may be called on at any time...without being singled out by the teacher (random.)

Good teaching also includes crafting questions that invite students, and invite teachers to support their participation, such as:

"What do you remember about?"

"What do you think about?"

"How do you think...?"

Questions that ask them what they think don't have "wrong" answers; they don't have to feel intimidated by them.

Good teaching also includes remaining neutral, supporting what is said, and withholding individual praise and correction after each response in favor of a summation of what the teacher heard the students share at the end of the discussion, reinforcing the good points, adding some, and correcting misunderstandings without singling anyone out.

It all depends on what's under discussion and what questions have been asked. If I ask, after giving directions, "what questions do you have about this?" I'm obviously going to call on those who raise their hands, not those who have no questions. If we are having a vigorous discussion and everyone wants to talk at the same time, I'm going to make them raise their hands and wait their turns...middle schoolers in particular tend to blurt whatever is in their head immediately, and have to be "trained" to wait their turns to speak.