#72 After a Cold Call write the student's answer on the board
It will slow you down and avoid the transient information effect
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💡 A tip to try in class this week 💡
In newsletter #17, I wrote about giving students enough time to think after hearing another student’s answer. All too often, teachers respond immediately to a student’s answer, either saying it is correct or not, or asking another student what they think of the answer. This all happens before anyone has had time to consider it properly.
A way to combat this urge is to write students’ answers on the board after they have said them. So, you have asked the class what 7% is as a decimal. You pause to give students time to think, then Cold Call Molly, who says the answer is 0.7. Instead of making your next move (for example, telling Molly she is incorrect, asking another student what they think, or instigating a Turn and Talk), you first write Molly’s answer on the board, nice and big so everyone can see.
The three seconds this takes are vital to give your students and yourself time to process Molly’s answer. In addition, Molly’s answer is now visible and permanent in a way that a verbal answer is not. Hence, it acts as a frame of reference for whatever move you make next, avoiding falling victim to the transient information effect.
What do you think of this idea?
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