A Stick Trick that I Learned

While observing the different groups, one technique really stood out to me. Within this class of third graders, there were some students who wanted to be called on all of the time and some students who never raised their hand. This is common in almost all classrooms, but the trick is to ensure that you are calling on all students equally. This can be hard when you have some excited students who are always trying to get your attention.

One group introduced a technique in order to make sure that all students were being called on. This involved pulling out a stick with the students name on it and having that student answer the question. Then, leave the stick with the students name out of the cup. Once every student has been called on, replace all of the sticks and start again. The best sticks would be Popsicle sticks, as the students name can easily fit. One fun activity for the beginning of the year could be to have the students decorate their sticks.

My only reservation with using this technique would be if the student who is called on generally does not know the answer. I would not want the students to ever be scared that they are called on, or be embarrassed that they do not know the answer. Therefore, I would actively plan on when I will use the name sticks and for what reason.