Mike’s Blog
Strategies, Ideas and Insights for Teachers and Leaders
Category: Talk, Discussion and Oracy
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The What If? Box – Free Resource
Put Creative Thinking At the Heart of Your Lessons Viewed and Downloaded 24,000+ Times by Teachers Around the World 🎯 168 creative questions to get you and your learners thinking…
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The Discussion Toolkit – Free Resource
Weave Effective, Structured Discussion Opportunities into Any Lesson Viewed and Downloaded 140,000+ Times by Teachers Around the World 🎯 Key discussion strategies explained in simple, practical language. 🎯 Suitable for…
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Make discussion your friend and differentiate writing in your lessons by using speech as the ultimate scaffolding tool
General Introduction This blog is part of my Differentiation and Adaptive Teaching Knowledge Base. I use the terms differentiation and adaptive teaching synonymously. To me, they are the same, as…
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Some simple strategies for using questions to stimulate meaningful discussions
Discussion is a superb addition to any classroom. It gives students an opportunity to develop and interrogate ideas, arguments and theories. It allows pupils to learn from and with one…
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The magic ability of oracy to empower learners, help them articulate their thoughts, and improve their ability to write
Babies cannot articulate their needs. One of the most difficult tasks parents first encounter is trying to establish what it is their baby wants when it exhibits distress, most often…
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How using the word ‘might’ can instantly transform questioning and discussion in your classroom
Consider the following questions: The meaning of the sentence is significantly altered by the word ‘might’. In sentence (1) there is an implied presumption that the questioner knows the answer…
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Why is assigning group roles a gamechanger for improving the quality of classroom discussion?
One of the difficulties inherent to group discussion is the teacher’s ceding of control. This can result in learners using the opportunity to talk socially or do no work. Another…
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How does ‘wait time’ change the impact of every question you ask, creating better answers in any lesson?
In many situations, teachers encourage learners to take their time: All these comments are intended to help learners understand that taking a little longer and going a little slower often…
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Understand how skilled teachers use ground rules to bring discussion to life and make it work for all their learners
Life is governed by rules. As adults we implicitly know, acknowledge, and act in accordance with these. Many learners make the complaint that school life is riddled with rules. An…
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Why are research discussions a great tool teachers can use to underpin classroom discussion and help learners become better speakers and listeners?
Research Discussion Discussion Strategy: Explanation This activity involves learners using discussion as a research tool. By talking to other members of the class and eliciting their thoughts, learners are creating…