## Key Ideas > [!abstract] Core Concepts > > - **Single speaker rule**: Only one student talks at any time to maintain focus and prevent confusion > - **Accountability for listening**: Use techniques to ensure all students actively listen, not just participate > - **Multiple perspectives**: Take many answers from different students and ask for agreement or disagreement ## Definition **Class Discussion**: Structured whole-class conversation where multiple students contribute whilst all others actively listen and engage with ideas shared. ## Connected To [[Check For Understanding]] | [[Cold-Call]] | [[Turn and Talk]] | [[Don't Round Up]] | [[No Opt-Out]] --- ## Core management principles Effective class discussion requires deliberate management to ensure all students engage with ideas shared. Only one student should talk at any time. Teachers must ensure no students work ahead whilst ignoring the discussion. Teachers should frequently remind students to stop what they are doing and listen. Maintaining accountability for listening requires multiple techniques. Teachers can use [[Cold-Call]] to ask students to repeat what another student said, spotting students not paying attention through listening checks. Teachers should give student-focused feedback as well as work-focused feedback. Teachers should follow up by returning to previously accountable students to ensure improvement. ## Discussion techniques Beyond managing attention, effective discussions require gathering and building upon multiple student contributions. Teachers should take many answers from different students. Teachers should ask students whether they agree or disagree with previous responses. Teachers should build on student thinking rather than immediately evaluating contributions. When students give almost correct answers, teachers can ask students to [[Turn and Talk]] about what could be added to make the answer correct. Teachers should maintain standards by refusing to [[Don't Round Up|round up]], pushing for precise and complete answers. Teachers should not allow [[No Opt-Out|opt-out]]. All students must engage with the thinking. ## Implementation guidelines Before discussion, teachers should ensure all students are ready to listen and participate. During discussion, teachers should monitor for engagement and redirect attention as needed. After discussion, teachers should check that key points were understood by all students. Teachers should focus on substance over participation, ensuring discussions advance mathematical understanding rather than just generating talk. ## References Cazden, C. B. (2001). *Classroom discourse: The language of teaching and learning* (2nd ed.). Heinemann. Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity. *Behavioral and Brain Sciences*, 24(1), 87-114. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922 Lemov, D. (2015). *Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college*. Jossey-Bass. Michaels, S., O'Connor, C., & Resnick, L. B. (2008). Deliberative discourse idealized and realized: Accountable talk in the classroom and in civic life. *Studies in Philosophy and Education*, 27(4), 283-297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-007-9071-1 Rowe, M. B. (1986). Wait time: Slowing down may be a way of speeding up! *Journal of Teacher Education*, 37(1), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002248718603700110 Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. *Educational Psychology Review*, 31(2), 261-292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5 Webb, N. M. (1991). Task-related verbal interaction and mathematics learning in small groups. *Journal for Research in Mathematics Education*, 22(5), 366-389. https://doi.org/10.2307/749186 ---