19th Century psychologist and Harvard professor William James believed so strongly that teaching was a mutual process that when his students’ participation waned he would lie down in class as if to take a nap.
Perhaps you can relate.
Active participation is crucial to learning. Challenging your students with pointed questions helps . . .
- Assess understanding.
- Contest assumptions.
- Deepen the grasp of material.
- Activate prior listening.
- Motivate greater interest.
But if they sit on their hands, it’s all for naught.
Slightly better perhaps is when some students speak up, but it’s usually the same handful you hear from time and again.
So how do you get everyone involved? Luckily, there is a surefire method. It’s also easy and has the added benefit of keeping them wide awake. I call it the index card method.
Here’s how it works:
Step One
Write the name of each student on their own separate index card.
Step Two
Shuffle the deck of index cards.
Step Three
After asking a question, call on the name at the top of the deck.
Step Four
Mark the date on the back of the card to note their participation.
Suggestions
I recommend a quick shuffle after every question. This way, a student could potentially be called on again, thereby keeping them perpetually on their toes.
In my experience, after a few weeks, the number of students called on tends to even out. However, you can always take a brief peek beforehand and decide who you want to make sure you target.
It’s also important to note that you don’t have to use your index cards all the time. You can pull them out when participation lags or anytime you like.
Besides ensuring every student gets involved, there are other benefits to calling on them randomly, which develop over time.
- They become more comfortable voicing their thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
- They begin to challenge each other, especially if prompted. (“Lenore, do you agree with Jenna?”)
- They become less self-conscious and lose themselves in the topic.
- Discussions tend to go deeper.
- Learning improves.
Great teachers don’t let students hide. Participation isn’t a choice. No excuses. “In this classroom, you will be called on so you better be ready for it.”
What happens if a student refuses or clams up? This is a topic for another day. However, here is a threefold hint:
- Teach it.
- Expect it.
- Grade it.
In the meantime, if you’re currently using the index card method successfully or have used it in the past, let me know in the comment section below.
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This is a great strategy! And it’s important to start out with content that is fairly low stakes, such as favorite ice cream or something like that. Eventually they will build up to voicing their thoughts and opinions on other things. And keeping track with cards is brilliant.
Great idea!
Our school prohibits cold calling on students due to their increased anxieties and “special needs.” This applies to reading aloud as well. I don’t agree with the school policy, but as educators, our hands continue to be tied to increase participation.
Oh my, but that makes it tough. In reality, by eliminating cold calling, students will never have the chance to experience the victory of overcoming their anxiety & learning that they CAN do hard things!
What do you do instead to keep them on their toes?
Presentations in a preset order might work. I can say from experience, low level readers will stumble and the constant correction in front of the whole class is embarrassing for everyone involved.
Ridiculous policy. We are not preparing kids for life.
I use a version of this – a stack of student numbers and randomly pick. But it doesn’t allow me to record the participation. I also use a pattern (the kids don’t even notice) to call on “random” students. At the beginning of the year, the students say, “I wasn’t raising my hand.” 🙂 They have learned it doesn’t matter. Thank you so much. I get so much out of reading your articles. I recommend it to any new teacher on campus.
Aha! I have a deck of empty write on cards. Soon to become known as the Deck of Learning.
I make such a big deal out of making mistakes that my students are crazy to share theirs. This will be very complementary.
I do the opposite: Often I’ll ask for “wrong answers only,” because we don’t learn anything from correct answers. As for the cold calling, one teacher I know draws from a cup the “sticks of destiny” with her students’ names/numbers on them.
My sticks are the “sticks of fate.” Lol! I like your idea of wrong answers only. More participation and helps students overcome their fear of being “wrong.”
Hi Kelley, I’m probably being dumb, and of course, I know what a wrong answer is, but could you give us an example?
2nd grade-I use popsicle sticks, painted to look like pencils, and pull them from a cup. After answering, it goes back in the cup. They have numbers on them, not names. This allows me to use them year after year. The kids love it!
In first grade, I use real pencils and write names on them. I give it to them at the end of the year. I bet yours are so cute though!
Wheel of Names is also great for calling on students. It is a free online resource where you spin the wheel and where it stops, no one knows, but the students get excited as it slowly comes to a stop.
I’m a music teacher, and we use it for in-class student performances. We call it the “Spinning Wheel of Courage.” They love it when there is only one student left, and I still spin the wheel, acting surprised when that last student’s name suddenly gets chosen.
I love this idea! I’m torn when thinking about using this approach because I know some of my students in my highschool class absolutely hate being called on. How can I balance making them feel safe while encouraging participation?
I have students do a turn and talk first and then I pick a popsicle stick and ask, “what did your group talk about?”
There was one above that said have them give you a wrong answer! ❤️
I’ve tried it and it works.
I’ve also called on students and they’ve seem shy but later raise their hands to participate because I acknowledged them.
When you call their card and a student doesn’t have an answer, or is afraid to speak, you can say “Phone a friend” and they get to choose a friend to answer. So many kids will raise their hand and be eager to answer for them and help them. It takes the pressure off, they feel support from friends, and the conversation keeps going and they just might be ready next time.
Calling Cards…I have my 8th grade math learners make their own index name cards as part of my beginning of year activities. They can decorate them or not. I use them faithfully almost every day…shuffling them regularly. I tell them they cannot opt out, but they can always ask for help! Some are hesitant at first, but by this time in the year it is just part of our classroom culture. Highly recommend!
I use sticks. It’s great. I tell them that everyone participates in our class. Even my quietest students get called on. I move closer to their desk so I can hear them and share their answer aloud. They get bolder as the year moves on.
I let students talk to their partners first to discuss the answer, then pick a name from my popsicle sticks.
I also use mini whiteboards and have everyone answer and hold up their answer.
Or I ask the question, give a bit of thinking time and we respond together.
Or, give options 1,2 or 3 and you show me with your fingers which one is correct.
Dr. Anita Archer has lots of great ideas for this. She discourages having students raise hands as it’s always the same 5 or 6 who participate.
I use the same method for kindergarten except I use popsicle sticks with their names on them sitting in a decorated soup can. No one can say I’m not being fair when it’s a random drawing.
I use craft sticks that each child has decorated with their name. The jar with the sticks are always ready for me to draw one out and call on a student. They know how it works and mostly stay alert. I allow one free pass a day. At the end of every session, all the sticks go back in the jar. I like the card idea for having a record of participation .
I completely agree with the idea presented in this essay. Encouraging active participation is essential for meaningful learning, as the index card method is a clever and effective way to ensure every student stays engaged. It promotes fairness, keeps students attentive, and helps even the quiet ones find their voice.
I especially like how it balances structure with spontaneity, making discussions more dynamic and inclusive. It’s a simple yet powerful strategy that truly supports the belief that teaching and learning are mutual processes.
Any tips for increasing participation in elementary music/specials classes? There are always a few students who consistently try to not participate even when we’re playing games and doing movement activities, and it’s often the students that need this active learning the most. I consider it “not following directions” when they do this, but I’d love another strategy before having to resort to this.
I’ve been doing this kind of thing for years. I have a lot of classes (high school) that I only teach once a week, so there’s no way I can possibly keep up with wh0 is participating or not. I paperclip the students who have answered, and keep going until they’ve all answered. I also allow “I don’t know” as an acceptble answer, because sometimes we just…don’t. They rarely take the out, though, because they’d rather take a shot at it. Once I’ve been through the whole stack, I re-shuffle, but don’t tell them that, so they don’t know when their name will be called.
I love the pick-a-stick method to facilitate class participation. Be sure to let the kids decorate their own craft stick. Buy the extra large kind so the kids have a decent-sized canvas on which to express themselves while using paint pens, crayons or markers. At the end of the school year, return the decorated sticks to the kids so they each have a souvenir to take home.
In the past, this method of calling individual learners randomly was helpful.
In my current school, you may find it from LinkedIn.com, “learners often answers ‘no idea’.
Others would often reply ‘I have the right to get it wrong.
Their motivations originated from teachers fixing marks, School Management Committee hand-picking learners who cannot even read for promotion to next class.
Any solution?