Responding to Student’s Answers

RESPONSES TO CORRECT ANSWERS

1. One form of encouragement is to praise correct replies.

2. Avoid overuse of praises like “Good!”, “Very Good!”, and “I like that answer!”.

3. Develop a variety of responses rather than merely repeating the students’ answers or adopting some repetitious expression of praise.

TEACHER REACTIONS TO STUDENT CORRECT RESPONSESI. Verbal

INEFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE

•Delivered without purpose, randomly and unsystematically

•Delivered when appropriate

•Limited to global positives •Specifies the accomplishment (“Good, you remembered what we discussed last meeting. You’ve got a retentive memory.”)

•Same for all students and all responses

•Shows variety

•Rewards participation without consideration of outcome, giving little or no consideration for quality

•Individualized student performance (specifies level of quality)

II. Nonverbal

INEFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE

•Response with a frown •Response with a smile

•Without a nod •With a nod

•Far away from the responding student

•Stands close to the student

•Not looking at the student

•Looking at the student

•Looks bored •Looks interested

•Neutral body language •Welcoming gesture

RESPONSES TO INCORRECT ANSWERS

1. Correct students when they are wrong.

2. Do not repeat the original question

Other Ways to Treat Incorrect Answers1. When the problem lacks specific

information, simply furnish the student with the information.

2. Provide another opportunity for the student to try again.

3. Break the original question down into a logical succession of smaller questions.

4. Ask the student to explain why he gave that particular answer.

5. Call on another student to indicate why he has a different answer.

6. If an answer is partially correct, the teacher may ask another student what changes or additions he would like to make.

7. Avoid comments such as “No,” That is wrong,” or “You are way off.”.

8. Avoid being sarcastic or punishing.

9. Immediately assess the type and level of question asked and then asks the student a similar but less difficult question, without making any other comments.

Example:Teacher: Who do you think should be the next

president, and what view can you offer in

support of your judgement? (Pause) Ines?

Ines: I don’t know. I really don’t care either, because

they are all a bunch of crooks anyway.

Teacher: That is pretty strong opinion. Could you tell us

why you think all the presidential candidates

are corrupt?

Ines: Well, to begin with...

According to Jensen...

a. Acknowledge the student for contributing.

b. Go right to the learning strategy of the student.

c. You can assume the student did come up with the right answer.

d. Enlarge the context to make it into a learning situation.

e. You can rephrase the same question, knowing that sometimes word means different things to people.