"I sometimes wonder how the world will survive if children do not experience the sort of teaching presented in this book."
-Peter Johnston, author of Choice Words and Opening Minds
Math coach, Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, and literacy coach, Christy Hermann Thompson, have spent years comparing notes on how to build effective classroom communities across the content areas. How, they wondered, can we lay the groundwork for classroom conversations that are less teacher-directed and more conducive to student-to-student dialogue?
Their answers start with Hands Down Conversations, an innovative discourse structure in which students' ideas and voices take the lead while teachers focus on listening and facilitating. In addition to classroom stories and examples, Christy and Kassia provide 28 micro-lessons designed to help K-5 students develop and exercise their speaking and listening muscles.
Inside Hands Down, Speak...
