Turn and Talk to Build Relationships
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Throughout the year we use turn-and-talk in an effort to help students process and collaborate during focus lessons. It is a great way for them to work together and a great use of the strategy. But have you ever thought of using it in a nonacademic way?
Students don’t automatically know what is expected of them when you say, “Turn and talk.” When we first introduce this collaborative strategy, we use an anchor chart and describe what it looks like and sounds like when students turn and talk. Then we practice. As we practice, we do so with relationship-building questions such as these:
- What did you do this weekend? Turn and talk with your elbow partner, and share one thing.
- What is your favorite movie? Turn and talk with your elbow partner, and share the movie and why it is a favorite.
- If you had one wish, what would you wish for? Turn and talk with your elbow partner and share.
As students build their muscle memory for how to turn and talk, they spend less time and energy on the collaboration and more on the sharing taking place with their peers. The turn-and-talk strategy typically then moves to one with a more academic purpose where questions encourage sharing and the application of new learning.
- Whom does the character remind you of and why? Turn and talk to share.
- What do you think will happen next? Take a moment to turn and talk with your elbow partner.
- What is a question you have that you hope the text will answer? Turn and talk to share.
And even though turn-and-talk provides a great brain break during a lesson and ties to learning, we find that it is just as valuable as the relationship builder it starts as at the beginning of the year. There are so many questions you can ask to deepen relationships in the classroom, and it takes only a few minutes, because students already know the expectation and routine of turn-and-talk.
Looking for questions to ask throughout the year to build and sustain relationships? View some possibilities below and add some of your own!
