And they should.
I used to think that if I randomly called on students it would be fair, discussions would be rich, and everyone’s ideas would be honored. Then I met the class of introverts. Three-fourths of them were boys – sixth graders – and I couldn’t get any kind of discussion started. And cold-calling made it worse. In fact, cold-calling generates compliance, not learning, and it is especially harmful for multilingual students who often benefit from time to talk through their ideas with a trusted friend before sharing with the whole class.
My class of introverts inspired a quest – how could I create the conditions in math class that would invite rather than compel students to share their ideas? It started with dumping the cold call practice. When I told the class of introverts I would quit the cold calls, they cheered. That made a huge difference, especially the next year when I started fresh with a new group of students. They knew from the start they could trust me not to put them on the spot. Adam began raising his hand in April of that year. He told me in the last weeks of school, “This is the first time I have ever spoken up in math class. It’s because I am not scared you are going to call on me.”