Notes from the Field - Part 2: Protecting the Power of Student Talk

I recently received my “list” of student teachers to supervise and mentor this school year.  I can’t wait to watch this group grow!

Right off the bat, one thing stands out. And it’s a worthy reminder for us all.

Our classrooms are wonderfully full of talk.

That’s exactly what we want in a Project GLAD® classroom. Students are processing ideas with partners, negotiating meaning, practicing academic language, making connections, and learning from one another. But creating a classroom rich in student talk also requires us to be very intentional about

      when we talk

               when students talk

                         and how we regain everyone’s attention.

Here are two simple focus points to get the year off to an intentional language-rich beginning.

1. Curbing the Blurting—Without Curbing the Enthusiasm

You know the student.

You ask a question and before you’ve even finished the sentence:

Out comes a comment or question – sometimes related and sometimes, well, not so much.

Or the answer comes flying across the room before anyone else has had time to think.

Blurting is often coming from a good place. Students are excited. They’re engaged. They have an idea and they want to share it.

The challenge is that every time we respond to a blurt, we may unintentionally teach students:

Calling out works. Gulp.

Meanwhile, the students who need a few seconds to formulate their thinking—the internal processors in the room—can quickly disappear from the conversation.

One simple shift is to front-load the expectation and then...

resist the urge to respond to the blurt.

Instead, build in intentional processing time:

• “Think about that for a moment.”
• “Turn and tell your partner what you noticed.”
• “Share your thinking with your elbow partner.”

Those few seconds matter.

In a GLAD classroom, Turn and Talk isn't just a way to increase engagement. It helps create equitable access to classroom conversation.

Some students process by talking. Others need time to think before they speak. We need both.

When the energy in the room starts rising,

rather than fighting it, give it somewhere productive to go.

"Turn and Talk."

Now everyone gets to process—not just the fastest voice in the room.

2. Protect the Power of Your Zero-Noise Signal

One of the things that makes my heart leap for joy is a well-established Zero-Noise Signal.

• The familiar hand in the air.
• “1-2-3 eyes on me…”
• The sound of an ocean drum, a rain stick, one year I even used a train whistle!

Whatever the signal is, when students know it and respond automatically, it is incredibly effective.

But there’s another piece that matters just as much:

What happens after we get their attention?

During partner, team, or independent work, teachers naturally notice things we want to share.

• “Everyone, remember…”
• “Oh! One more thing…”
• “Listen to what ___ just figured out…”

Some of those interruptions are absolutely worthwhile. Stopping the class to say, “Maria’s group just discovered something I want everyone to notice,” can deepen learning for everyone.

But when we interrupt student work too frequently—or begin talking while students are still talking—we can slowly weaken the effectiveness of the very routines we worked so hard to establish.

A useful internal question is:

Does everyone need to hear this right now?

And maybe a second:

Have I already said this?

Sometimes the answer is yes. Stop the class.

Sometimes the information can wait until the next transition.

And sometimes we realize that what we're about to say is something we already explained—and we're repeating it because a few students weren't listening the first time.

That’s an important distinction.

If we repeatedly talk over students to repeat directions, we may inadvertently teach them that they don’t actually need to listen the first time.

Instead...

     Pause.

          Use the zero-noise signal.

                    Wait.

                         Then speak.

Student Talk Is Learning Time

Project GLAD classrooms should have a healthy buzz.

Students should be talking, processing, questioning, explaining, gesturing, negotiating meaning, and trying out new academic language.

Our job isn't to eliminate that energy.

It's to design for it.

• Give oral processors opportunities to talk.
• Give internal processors time to think.
• Use Turn and Talk before whole-group responses.
• Teach and consistently use zero-noise signals.

And perhaps most importantly, protect students' opportunities to talk by being intentional about when we ask them to stop.

Sometimes the most powerful instructional move we can make

is not saying one more thing.

It’s giving students the space to do the thinking—and the talking—themselves.

Your fan club - 

Sara and Jody

Dr. Sara S. Martinez & Jody Bader, M.Ed.

Next Steps.  www.nextstepsprojectglad.com

Supporting you in your Next Steps with Project GLAD®