Clip 9/15: Modeling with Polynomials Lesson - Part 2B

Being really intentional about setting up student talk is powerful. I am not a parent, but I do think that a lot of teaching must be a lot like some parenting, in terms of setting group roles. I always do mathematics in the classroom, but in the first few weeks of the school year, I am just alongside it, teaching group roles and the why. What is the purpose for the group roles, and not just holding that to myself; telling it every single day to students. In my classroom, when I'm introducing group roles, I start with having everyone practice being the facilitator for a day, just so we all know what the facilitator's role is, and I do things like participation quizzes, where I am listening specifically for the types of questions, and the reading out loud, or whatever is on the facilitator card. Then the next day, the entire group will practice being the resource manager. So, in this approach, the teacher is a resource, not just the authority in the room.