Teacher-to-Student Discourse; Consider your ratio

For over seven years, I collected data from thousands of math teachers. One of the questions I asked the most was, "What percentage of your instructional time consists of the sound of your voice?"

Take all the time you need. Please know there is no judgment here – we're just trying to make an honest assessment. We understand that it can vary daily and across different activities. Just focus on the time when you're teaching.

The average remains consistent across regions and over time. Math teachers estimate that 70% of their instructional time is spent speaking.

Interestingly, when I ask administrators, site coaches, or anyone who performs walkthroughs and evaluations, the percentage tends to be much higher. Those who observe teachers often say that teachers speak over 80% of the time. In my experience, teachers are some of the most thoughtful and honest self-evaluators in any profession. However, it's so tough to be completely self-aware when juggling so many things simultaneously.

Now, let’s consider the importance of the teacher-to-student talk ratio. Most people are familiar with the traditional Learning Pyramid. The research aims to categorize passive-to-active learning methods into three groups: "Auditory," "Visual," and "Kinesthetic."

But something important is missing. Look in the image at everything that produces 30% retention and higher. What do all those things have in common? Students need to be talking!

When implementing an inquiry-based approach to teaching mathematics, it's crucial to prioritize student engagement and discussions. A balanced ratio for effective learning is approximately 20:80, with students contributing to discussions, sharing their ideas, strategies, failures, and successes about 80% of the time. This approach fosters a positive, constructive, and highly productive learning atmosphere."

The natural follow-up is, "OK, fine, now HOW do I do that?" You might find it surprising, but it's actually much easier than you think. It's all about implementing effective questioning strategies. The most effective way to encourage a student to articulate their thoughts is by asking thought-provoking questions that stimulate higher-level thinking. In my upcoming article, I will delve into techniques for achieving the 20:80 ratio and offer practical strategies that you can implement as soon as tomorrow!