NCTE offers consultants and services on classroom talk that when used together, provide extended learning opportunities for teachers and makes a positive impact on learning. These opportunities include the Pathways Program, Web Seminars and books on classroom talk for study groups.
Consultants are available to present one-day or multi-day presentations or provide year-round consulting. All workshops and presentations can be customized to meet your specific needs.
The Discussion-Based Classroom as a Key to High Achievement
Consultant: Thomas McCann
Audience: 6–12 Teachers
The workshop will reveal strategies for inviting and facilitating authentic discussion in the English classroom. The workshop activities will illustrate how engagement in authentic discussion helps students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to work with challenging texts and complex writing assignments.
Classroom Talk, Inquiry, and Critical Thinking
Consultant: Diane Parker
The questions we ask our students, and the way we guide discussions and learning engagements in response to their questions, are the keys to fostering inquiry and critical thinking. This workshop will focus on classroom talk and on the crucial role of teachers in shaping the discourse of their classrooms. We’ll examine and analyze dialogue excerpts to uncover the elements that make them powerful. Participants will learn and practice general principles and specific strategies for facilitating discussions and creating thoughtful, reflective learning communities.
Making Learning Happen—Activities for an Interactive Classroom
Consultant: Jeffrey Golub
Audience: 6-12 Teachers
This workshop is designed for those who want to change the way they (and their students) use English. Improve students' performance with language by focusing on the constructing, negotiating, and communicating of meanings. Become a designer and director of classroom instruction. Create situations that allow students to engage in authentic communication for real audiences and real purposes. Discover ways to use students' own talk as a vehicle for learning. Find how to make critical thinking, cooperative learning, authentic assessment, and interpretive discussions of literature work for your and your students. In short, learn how to help students make sense of English in ways that make sense.