Inside This Week’s Episode: Are your students having the right kind of classroom conversations - the kind of talk that moves learning forward? If not - let’s fix that by teaching students the art of accountable talk, a framework for having intentional conversations in the classroom.

It’s undeniable. Students love to talk.

Sometimes is hard to get them to stop talking.

But, not all “talk” is created equal.

It’s one thing to have your students discuss what they did over the weekend, or what new video games they are in to.

But - what teacher hasn’t observed students sitting in a small group trying to discuss a new topic they are learning about or a book that they are reading and…

:::crickets:::

The truth is, when it comes to having deep, meaningful conversation - the kind of talk that moves learning forward - students often struggle to keep the conversation going. Instead of asking thoughtful questions or making insightful comments and observations on what their peers are saying, students often find themselves trapped in the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ auto responder vortex when it comes to classroom discussions.

And - it’s hard for the conversation to flow both ways when students only answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

When the conversation only flows in one direction, you miss out on a valuable opportunity to really dive deep into a topic.  That's why I feel it is really important to teach students how to have a meaningful and valuable conversations with you, the teacher, as well as with their peers.  

That’s where teaching students the art of accountable talk can be a game changer.

Accountable talk is an intentional open-ended conversation where participants listen, add on to each other's comments, and use clarifying questions to make sure they are understanding what others are saying. When students participate in accountable talk, they can have richer and deeper conversations that go beyond surface-level thinking.

Ready to get your students talking like crazy (in all the good ways, of course)?

Here’s a snapshot:

• [02:02] When students participate in accountable talk, they can have a richer and deeper conversations that go beyond surface-level thinking. Accountable talk gives students the tools to have intentional group discussions and even the skills to engage in a healthy debate.

• [04:04] We have to explicitly teach students how to have these conversations and provide them with a ton of modeling and practicing. I’ll show you how you can support students by providing conversation prompts that help guide students in their discussions. (Plus, I’ll share with your how to get a free set of posters with these conversations prompts on them to display in your classroom!)

• [8:16] Introducing accountable talk using a class read-aloud is a great place to start modeling how to use the conversation prompts. I’ll teach you some of my best tips to set you and your students up for success as well as some things to keep in mind when working with different age & ability groups.

• [10:11] Before you send your students off to their small groups to try accountable talk strategies on their own, you'll want to discuss with your students behavior expectations for small group discussion — and I’ve got a super simple instructional tip to help you clearly communicate your expectations to your students.

• [10:59] Learn two hot tips for how to provide extra support for students that will help them gradually master the art of accountable talk over time. Remember - consistency and repetition are key for success!

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

Grab my FREE Accountable Talk Posters below:

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TRANSCRIPT