- Arrange the students so that each one is paired with a partner. Instead of calling on just one or two students to answer a question, instruct the students to tell their partner what they think the answer is. Then ask for a volunteer to tell the class what their partner answered.
- Many shy students resist speaking up in class because they are afraid of being wrong in front of all of their friends. You can engage the whole class in a question without embarrassing anyone. When, for example, a student tells the class what their partner answered, you should resist saying whether the answer is right or wrong. Instead, say, "If you think that answer is correct, put your thumb up; but if you think that answer is incorrect put your thumb down." Once everyone has indicated their opinion, put your own thumb up or down to show the proper response.
- An even more interactive teaching technique is to divide the class into cooperative learning groups. Each group should have four or five members. There are many ways to facilitate group activities but it is important to give clear directions about what the group is supposed to do. It is also important to provide a tool that will make it likely for each member to participate. For example, give each person a button or another small token. Provide a series of questions about a reading assignment for the group to discuss. After each person speaks, they must place their token in the center of the table. Then they are not allowed to speak again until all four tokens are in the center of the table. Everyone reclaims their tokens and the turns begin again.
- When each student is responsible to create a story, research project, or science fair project, the speed dating model is an effective technique that allows each student to share and question each of their classmates. Arrange half of the class on one side of a long table. Their task is to answer questions about their own project. The other half of the class must sit on the other side of the long table. Their job is to ask the first students questions about their project. Every three minutes give a signal that makes the questioners move down one seat. As soon as all of the questioners have spoken with all of the presenters, the groups should change roles. At the end of the activity, conduct a group reflection. Each student should write about the project that one of their classmates is doing that interested them the most and why. Randomly choose three students to share their reflection.
