8/10/2019 Partner Talk Tips

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ORKING TOGETHER

Tips and Tricks for A/B Partner Talk

Start as you mean to continue: behavior expectations begin on day one.

Respectful Environent

Go over What does a good listener/reporter do/ look like with class, develop criteria, and

make poster of it; practice every day, refine criteria as students become more adept.

each strategies/e!pectations/practice/model/role play

"tudent begin by saying, my partner #### and $ %acknowledging partner&s contribution'

"tand to report

each and model kindness and tolerance

(e consistent

!ore strate"ies for pickin" partners

)hange seating arrangements often *air +uiet students together; pair talkative students together

*artner strong with reluctant or strong with strong %know your personalities'

*reselect partners for specific reasons for specific goals

Go to clock - each student has partners - go to your 0 o&clock partner

1se playing cards

2ame card, each student writes 0 names they would like to partner with to allow choice

When carpet sharing, tell students to choose a partner close to one of their elbows. his

allows them to have a partner even when they are not close to their assigned 3( partner

$f it&s a simple task have all 3&s stand and then call on only three students %only the 3s

wearing red'; however, all must be accountable.

"ticks of error random 3/( partners using *opsicle sticks with their names %can be "ticks

of *ower' 3, 3, (, ( groupings to allow for more partner variety %works well in *4 can create

groups of , 5, 6'

)lass list e!panded, photocopied onto a transparent sheet, cut up. Good for +uick random

draw partners

3llow pairs to 7oin 8 becomes 5 to share once again before big group share %second set of

partners to build ideas'

Reportin"

9on&t have everyone report out - all the time

3ll 3&sstand: student who reports first picks ne!t 3 partners to report.

"ometimes give both partners an opportunity to talk

2ever let them off the hook with regards to reporting out, (1 always allow students theopportunity to save face %can $ come back to you; can $ get another pair to help'

8/10/2019 Partner Talk Tips

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#upportin" all learners

*ut sentence stems on the board build confidence

=or the +uiet kids who won&t report out, scaffold by allowing partner to help

*ut male/female together >< same gender to support what&s comfortable first

?ovementincorporate moving to your partner/walking with partner and talking

"tart with simple +uestions that students have a lot of prior knowledge to answer.

)irculate to support %can prompt reluctant learners'

Teachstrategies/e!pectations/practice/model %some students are noncompliant because

they don&t understand how to behave differently'.

?odel 3/( talk with the students first

Go slow when introducing individual steps %students are often noncompliant out of fear of

failure'

)reate +uestions that are open enough that each pair has a different answer %this can&t be

busy work: we listen to partners in the e!pectation of learning something new'.

$ndividual write first %so they have something to say' and again after talking %so they can see

how their thinking has e!panded'. his allows for success.

1se graphic organi@er to record thinking so you have something to share, as well as add to.

?ay paraphrase others ideas first if very nervous/reluctant in your own words

iming is crucial - limit talk time as well as wait time for sharing - if the talk time and report

out is not focuses, students lose focus.

rgani@ation - shuffle deck of name cards/ film canisters with names on top

=ingertip count down %to get students to come back to listen count, moving fingertips closer

and closer until they touch at '.

Cisual aids to refer to %good listening/ good reporter'

9iscussion topic highly visible %on board or overhead'

*aired seating - design classroom in 3/( friendly manner

1sing ennis balls on chair legs - no noise

"eating set up with a system for who moves and who stays put %avoids buddy gloms.

Dont give up! It takes time to learn the process.Do it daily!

Find a learning partner and share.