Noble Elementary School, talking plus thinking equals learning

There’s a pattern to learning in Sharon Riley’s 5th-grade class, and her student Mallea Simmons can describe it: “First, we see Mrs. Riley do the work, then we do the work and talk about it with each other.” Talking and thinking about the work is important.

This was clear when four of Riley’s students were at the Smartboard, an interactive white board. Students took turns reading paragraphs and then, as a group, chose one of three answers that identified the topic sentence of the paragraph. This required understanding and analysis of the text.

It’s tempting to rush and guess at answers, touching the screen and watching the cool graphicsespecially when each correct answer earns another piece of the word puzzle. But a quick reminder from Riley puts the four back in thinking mode. “We really need to slow down and talk about the answers first,” says one student.

And they do. They exchange ideas about why one option might be right, listen to each other and rebut a suggestion with a reading from the text. They agree on an answer and are rewarded with another clue to solve the word puzzle. This thinking and talking makes learning fun and lasting.

Building a classroom environment of idea exchange and cooperative learning takes work. Everyone has to know and trust each other. “I tell students that they don’t have to love each other but they do have to work together,” says Riley. “Learning is their job right now and just like any job, they need to be professional and work, talk and think with anyone and everyone in the class.”

This attitude reflects the whole school’s focus on two civility rules: Speak kindly and respect personal space.

Joy Henderson is the assistant director at Reaching Heights, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools support organization.