In the realm of teaching, there’s a versatile routine I consistently employ in every lesson – Turn and Talk. This simple yet effective method has become an integral part of my teaching practice, seldom leaving a lesson without its appearance.
The essence of Turn and Talk is straightforward: present a question or thought to the class, instruct students to pair up for a defined period (usually between 30 seconds and two minutes), and witness the classroom transform into a vibrant hub of conversation. As the discussion unfolds, I move around, jotting down captivating snippets of dialogue. Later, we reconvene, sharing some highlights of the discussion with the entire class.
A brief overview of my recent lessons would reveal the myriad ways Turn and Talk is woven into a typical lesson: this routine is a constant throughout discussions, often acting as a prelude or postlude to independent work.
Turn and Talk is an indispensable tool for teachers across various subjects, offering students a secure environment to test and refine their ideas. However, I’ve discovered ways to tailor it further to the English classroom:
For instance, display a contentious statement about a text, such as ‘Lady Macbeth is a powerful and strong character.’ Now, imagine that the B students disagree vehemently with this statement. If you’re an A student, your task is to convince the Bs of their error, and that the statement is indeed valid. This not only adds a subtle competitive edge but also encourages students to practice constructing a persuasive argument, which is crucial in English Literature. To heighten the excitement, students can switch roles during the discussion.
Another variation: Student A initiates by presenting a quotation from the current text, while student B responds with another quotation. This resembles a tennis rally, with the dialogue bouncing back and forth, but if one partner takes more than five seconds, the point goes to the other. After the exchange subsides, introduce another text for students to draw quotations from. Reset again: the As continue to offer quotations, but now the Bs must present an analysis about the quotation. The dialogue continues, back and forth, before switching: now, As must present the analysis.
Make Turn and Talk a pillar of your teaching methodology. But remember, experiment with the strategy, devising variations like the ones suggested above to make it more applicable to your specific subject.
Andrew Atherton is an English teacher at a school in Berkshire. He is the founder of Codexterous, a popular blog site offering a wealth of posts on teaching strategies for English Literature and English Language, as well as numerous resources.
