Classroom+Discourse+Resources

"Knowledge cannot be transmitted but must be constructed by the mental activity of the learner" **Classroom discourse** refers to the language that teachers and students use to communicate with each other in the classroom. In order to be a successful "modeling" teacher, it is necessary to practice implementing effective classroom discourse. This page will provide you with an overview of the types of discourse that benefit the modeling classroom and how you can use them effectively. A classroom is a very complex system of interactions. Interactions between students and other students, and students and teachers tend to dominate. These interactions normally occur at prescribed and commonly accepted times; student-student interactions at the beginning and end of class, and teacher-student interactions during the class period.

**The "Default" Pattern (Cazden citation)** The most common form of classroom discourse is called the **Initiation-Response-Evaluation (IRE)** sequence or sometimes referred to as **Triadic Dialogue**. In this sequence the teacher initiates with a question, a student responds, the teacher then evaluates the response for correctness by affirming what was said or asking another question and repeating the cycle. At first, this seems like a natural, comfortable method of teacher student interaction. However, research shows this sequence falls short of achieving deep understanding in students. Even very small changes can have a considerable impact on student learning.

Change #1: Classroom Discussion Sequence The typical sequence of classroom discussion moves from the teacher (T) to student (S) back to the teacher and on to another student, then back to the teacher again, and so on in a "T:S:T:S:T:S:T" sequence. But teachers can work towards changing this sequence and encouraging students to take a bit more control over the sequence and moving towards a "T:S:S:S:S:S:T:S:S:S:ST" type sequence. A further change that can be made is to make the addressee of student comments be another student rather than always addressing the teacher.

**Student Seating**
One important recommendation for facilitating these types of changes in classroom discussions is to arrange the seating in a circle rather than rows. This arrangement has been shown to increase student engagement in discussions, reduce the focus on the teacher, and instigate on-topic comments from students.

**Wait Time**
Another common idea from "best practice" that is particularly important in changing classroom discourse is wait time. **Socratic Questioning**

**Reflective Toss**