Thread by @adamboxer1

@ded6ajd Hi Andrew. So as a teacher who uses Cold Call a *lot,* I do actually agree with you that done badly it can be quite hazardous (though I don't agree with the framing). Below are a few things I would add:

@ded6ajd I only Cold Call when it is something I think students should be in with a chance of knowing. Quite often, students will say that they don't know the answer. I now have two options. Option 1 is to give them a hard time. I do this when it's something that I am expecting them to

@ded6ajd know, something they *should* know. E.g., we do regular retrieval quizzes on @Carousel_Learn. If an average student by this point in the year doesn't know the function of the mitochondria, they are simply not working hard enough. Letting them off the hook in this case betrays

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn them, and shows I have low expectations. It isn't ok for them not to know this stuff, given that I have provided it for them on a silver plate. However, if it is something that they have a chance of getting, but they don't know, then I won't give them a hard time. Doing so would

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn be grossly unfair, and is potentially one of the "shadows" of traditional teaching (@RethinkingJames).

Instead, you need to build a Culture of Error around Cold Call, and this is where Lemov's work is so important and where perversions can happen. Taking one small part of

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames the strategies doesn't work. When you look at the classrooms he videos they are so full of warmth and the joy of learning: a good chunk of that is not *despite* Cold Call but because of it. So people need to read that too. Two more points:

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames First, there are certainly exceptions. I teach a couple of students who have serious anxiety issues and don't want to be asked questions in front of the class. Guess what? I don't Cold Call them. Instead, they signal me with a little hand up, so I can see they might know the

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames answer, and I ask them. This way we aim to build up to a position in which they feel comfortable even when they aren't prompting me. I am glad to say that in most cases we have had success following a long term strategy like this.

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames second point - and this may be the most important - framing Cold Call as an interaction between one teacher and one student is wrong. That's part of it, sure. But the much bigger part is what it does to the rest of the class. Cold Call builds your Ratio: it means everybody thinks

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames I wrote a bit about this here. What it means is that you give as much warmth to your Cold Call as possible, and if a particular student doesn't want to answer, that's ok, because the rest of the class are still thinking. achemicalorthodoxy.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/rat…

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames I imagine that is enough to go on for the minute. Either way, when all this is over you - and anyone else - are more than welcome to come visit me and my colleagues where you will see classrooms brimming with warmth, respect, enthusiasm for learning and the coldest of calls. /end

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames I actually have a postscript to this as I have been thinking about it. First, it's important to point out that I have made mistakes with Cold Call, asked the wrong student, been too tough with someone etc. I don't claim to be a super-teacher, and I own my mistakes. >

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames In those cases, I just apologised to the student involved. After that - things were fine. Probably even better before as I don't think it hurts for students to see that teachers make mistakes too. >

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames It would be easy in light of all the above, and in light of some of the comments I have received, to just say "nah forget it. Cold Call is risky so just ditch it." I think this is a mistake. >

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames Cold Call is an *incredibly* powerful tool for:

Keeping all students engaged
Getting data about student understanding
Holding students to account
Building a culture of error
Helping students build verbal confidence

>

@ded6ajd @Carousel_Learn @RethinkingJames So it's worth it: be cognisant of the risks, be sensible in its application. And, most importantly, read Teach Like a Champion.

That really is the end now.

https://twitter.com/adamboxer1/status/1389669590532337669?s=20