“Anyone? Anyone?” For a wide variety of reasons, my classes this year seem to be quieter than normal.
As the author of a book on introverts in education, I have given lots of thought to how to nurture and support quieter students and have needed those techniques in abundance this year.
Respecting some young people’s reluctance to share verbally is, of course, vital - but finding ways to sensitively encourage all our students to offer an insight into their rich inner world is important in building confidence. The following ideas should also help to prevent those silences that can feel like an eternity:
1. Empathy
The ability to put ourselves in our students’ shoes is imperative in our classrooms. Without doubt, the pandemic has had a significant impact on young people’s confidence and desire to contribute in lessons. The fact that here in Scotland they are still in masks has increased that hesitance. There is also intellectual insecurity that increases with age - and we need to be sensitive about how we might help combat some of that.
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2. Acknowledge the elephant in the room
If our students aren’t speaking to us, we need to open up an honest dialogue about it. A whole-class conversation that rationalises the importance of verbal communication is important, helping to build an atmosphere in which it is valued and appreciated. That can involve reinforcing the idea that we are all learning from each other and that mistakes are part of that process.
3. Be positive
In the face of the silent class, we can often become hypercritical, foaming at the mouth while we berate the fact that nobody is talking to us. It is never a good look, nor helpful to creating a good classroom atmosphere. Instead, we can shine a light on the brilliant listening going on in the room, and offer genuine praise when students are volunteering answers. That positivity is much more likely to encourage others to follow in sharing ideas. Some students respond much better to a quiet word of encouragement when they take the plunge to contribute, others will enjoy whole-class recognition.
4. Vary questioning styles
This requires real clarity, so young people understand exactly what they are expected to do. If we want to use hands down, we need to signal that clearly in advance and allow time for them to process what we want them to think about before we pounce on them. If we want them to discuss in pairs, then answer, that discussion needs to be scaffolded - perhaps with some prompt questions on the PowerPoint slide.
5. Write it first
Giving our students time to write their thoughts first before being expected to answer can be hugely beneficial in improving the quality of thinking and participation in our classrooms. There are many different ways to do it, but giving them a few minutes to record their thinking on paper helps to give them that encouragement to then express it verbally.
Whatever we do, let’s make a collective professional pact to never berate our quieter students when it comes to parents’ evenings. As a frequent recipient of the dreaded “Jamie works hard, but really needs to contribute more in class”, I know just how demotivating it can be.
If instead we focus on the positives, many more of our students will contribute - when they feel ready.
Jamie Thom is a teacher of English and an author, based in Scotland. He tweets @teachgratitude1 and his latest book is Teacher Resilience: managing stress and anxiety to thrive in the classroom
