## Key Ideas > [!abstract] Core Concepts > > - **Teacher chooses who answers rather than volunteers**: Creates universal engagement where all students must stay thinking > - **Ask question first, then say name**: Maintains participation ratio by keeping all students engaged until name called > - **Front-load participation method**: Tell students how to respond before asking question to prevent calling out ## Definition **Cold Call**: An instructional technique in which the teacher selects which student answers a question rather than calling for volunteers (Lemov, 2015). ## Connected To [[Participation]] | [[No Opt-Out]] | [[Culture of Error]] | [[Wait Time]] | [[Mini-Whiteboards]] | [[Turn and Talk]] | [[Warm Call]] --- ## Rationale The traditional hands-up approach creates predictable problems (Lemov, 2015; Rowe, 1986). Confident students dominate participation whilst others disengage. Some students go extended periods without participating in lessons (Lemov, 2015). Most answers are correct, limiting opportunities for error correction. Teachers receive an unrepresentative sample of class understanding from the most confident students. Quieter students may feel their contributions are less valued (Tanner, 2013). A recommended ratio is 80% cold call to 20% volunteers, reserving hands-up for challenging questions or rewarding enthusiasm (Lemov, 2015). ## Essential techniques Three core techniques support effective cold calling. ### Ask question, then say name Compare "Harry, what is Pythagoras' theorem?" with "What is Pythagoras' theorem?... Harry?" Once you say the name, the incentive for other students to think disappears. Asking first maintains universal engagement. ### Front-load participation method Tell students how to respond before asking the question to prevent calling out. For example: "Without calling out or putting up your hands, all of you think about this question... What is the first step in solving this equation?... Emma?" Check for listening by asking "What two things don't I want you to do?... Sean?" This pre-empts disruption whilst maintaining engagement. ### Use invitational language Collaborative phrasing such as "Harry, I'd love to hear your thinking on this..." or "Harry, can you get us started..." reduces anxiety. This approach makes the interaction feel collaborative rather than evaluative. ## Tell students why you use cold call Explain your rationale explicitly: "When I ask you a question in this class, I don't want you to raise your hands. I want all of you to think hard about the answer, and then I will select one or two of you to share your answer with the rest of the class. When I call your name, it is because I want to hear what you think. Everyone's thoughts are valuable." ## Integration with other strategies Cold calling integrates with [[No Opt-Out]] and [[Warm Call]] to create responsive questioning. When students say "I don't know", prompt with "What do you think it might be?" or "Take a guess" or "We'll come back to you in a moment." After getting the correct answer from another student, return to the original student to repeat it. Use warm call when you know how a student will likely respond (saw their mini-whiteboard, overheard during discussion). This allows you to choose the most useful answers to share, boost confidence of struggling students, and strategically select misconceptions to address. ## When not to use cold call Reserve hands-up for finding knowledge in the room after three cold calls have failed, finding alternative methods after a worked example, or occasionally rewarding enthusiasm. Never make cold call a punishment by using it to catch students not listening. ## Implementation strategy Choose a supportive class with good relationships to start. Explain the rationale using the script above. Start with easier questions to build confidence. Be consistent to establish the norm. Track participation to ensure you reach all students. ## References Lemov, D. (2015). *Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college*. Jossey-Bass. 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 Tanner, K. D. (2013). Structure matters: Twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity. *CBE—Life Sciences Education*, 12(3), 322-331. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-06-0115 ---