I just discovered Responsive Classroom's The Power of Our Words for Middle School: Teacher Language That Helps Students Learn on a shelf in my classroom. I believe it was part of a workshop for some previous resident of my room. the book is an easy read, but one that requires lots of thought to implement the various strategies. I summarized the guidance in the chart below:
|
|
purpose |
Clues for
effective use |
Sentence
starters |
|
Envisioning language |
Inspires effort and persistence, sets a positive tone for learning,
builds a sense of belonging |
·
Connect with students’ interest and
aspirations ·
Name positive identities for students ·
Se concrete images and terms students relate
to ·
Prompt students to fill in the details |
·
I hope that __ ·
Imagine that you __ ·
What needs to happen so that everyone can___ ·
You’re going to be (name activity). How will
you do that successfully? ·
Think about what you would be doing if you
were a professional ___ ·
What will make your ___ successful? |
|
Reinforcing language |
Encourages focus on practice effort, forms positive self-images,
focuses on strength, and encourages self-motivation |
·
Find positive to name in all students ·
Emphasize description, not personal approval ·
Name concrete and specific behaviors ·
Point our student progress toward mastery ·
Use questions to extend student thinking |
·
I noticed __ ·
I see that __ ·
You remembered to ___ ·
You all helped to __ ·
You paid attention to ___ ·
You followed our rule by __ ·
Did you notice __ ·
One of the reasons your group was successful
today was __ ·
Because you ___, your work ___ |
|
Reminding language |
Enable students to take responsibility for themselves; pause and
think first, and then act; develop autonomy and competence; support students
when they are starting to veer off task |
·
Establish clear expectations and refer to them
when giving reminders ·
Phrase reminders as a question or a statement—and
keep them brief ·
Use proactive and reactive reminders and keep
words and tone neutral ·
Use reminders when both you and the student
are calm |
·
Think about __ ·
Show us how __ ·
Remind everyone how __ ·
What if you/we __ ·
What might help you __ ·
How can you __ ·
How do you ___ ·
Who can tell us __ |
|
Redirecting language |
Stop off task behavior and return to safe, productive behavior
quickly; preserve student dignity and sense of belonging; ensure students
know exactly what they need to do |
·
Be direct and specific ·
Name only the desired behavior ·
Use brief statements, not questions or
suggestions ·
Observe and follow through after giving a
redirection ·
Get attention first |
·
Stop. Put away the __ ·
Pause. Get started on __ ·
Stop and think. Then raise your hand if __ ·
It’s time to __ ·
Help __ do __ ·
Clean up the __ ·
Sit at another desk where you can __ ·
Focus on __ ·
Right now you need to __ |
|
Open-ended questions |
puts students at the center; supports the learning cycle (generate
ideas and goals ↔ actively exploring, experimenting, problem solving↔ reflecting
on experiences); developing thinking skills; encouraging self-awareness;
building a sense of community |
·
Convey your curiosity ·
Clarify what you’re asking for or seeking ·
Use words that encourage cooperation, not
competition ·
Use wait time ·
Use at each stage of your lesson |
·
What are some ways that __ ·
What are some things you __ ·
What surprised you about __ ·
How might you
__ ·
How did you support your group today? Describe
one way. ·
How could you say that using your own words? ·
When would be a good time to __? ·
When might you try using __? ·
Where else do you see __? ·
Why might you choose __ instead of __? |
Good advice for ensuring you present positive and respectful language.
