Turn and Talk

Turn and talk is a strategy with which most of us are acquainted. The reason I chose to include it here is because of its sheer versatility. Discussion methods like Socratic seminar require preparation and a sizeable chunk of time in order to execute properly. Turn and talk, once you have established norms of discussion can be a truly powerful tool for engaging every student at some level.

The primary drawback of this method is that it can quickly degenerate into free time to talk about the football game or after-school plans. Sufficient establishment of expectations, regular supervision, and a meaningful topic help discourage this sort of behavior, however.

A compelling topic in which the students are invested is truly the key to making any sort of discussion strategy work. Discussion shouldn't be something that you need to regiment and micromanage. It should be something that all students want to do naturally. Students love talking! The trick is to find something that they feel is worth talking about. The more "controversial", the better. Think about all of the discussion that took place surrounding Twilight and the relationships therein and find something equally contentious in either the text itself or the context in which it was written.