Three Powerful Classroom Techniques: How to Make Them Work (Without Overdoing It)
- Tricia Taylor
- 41 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Effective teaching isn’t about tricks; it’s about getting students to think about the right stuff—and think in a way that actually strengthens memory, doesn’t overload it. That simple principle underpins some of the most powerful strategies we use in classrooms.
Three strategies I often promote—Turn and Talk, Retrieval Practice and Cold Calling—are incredibly effective but are often overused or misapplied. When this happens, their power diminishes.
For each strategy, I've challenged myself here to offer only four tips. These are the most common tips I end up suggesting to teachers.
1. Turn and Talk: Getting Students to Think, Not Just Talk
Why Use It: Turn and Talk, or Pair Share, gets students talking about their thinking, and that’s good—if they’re actually thinking. The idea is to get students to articulate their thoughts, solidify understanding and get feedback from a peer. When used well, it prompts active processing and makes every student accountable for responding.
The Pitfalls: Too often it’s just a default move. “Turn to your partner and chat about...” can quickly become background noise. Without clear direction or sufficient think time, it’s just chat rather than thinking. And it can be overdone. I’ve seen teachers miss out on moments when their direct explanation or reteaching would have been better. Moreover, when students always pair up with the same person, they miss the chance to hear different perspectives. Think about the last CPD session you attended—what if you had to sit next to the same colleague every time? Chances are, the conversations would get repetitive and predictable. The same is true for students.
Top Tips:
Keep It Purposeful: Skip vague prompts like, “Have a chat." Be precise. Give students a focused question that directs their thinking: “With your partner, explain how the character’s motivation changes from the beginning to the end of the scene.” That’s far more effective than “Chat about what’s happening here.”
Write First: Sometimes, have students write their answers first and then discuss. This ensures everyone has an idea to share and helps solidify their thinking. Encourage them to underline one phrase or sentence they're ready to share.
Switch It Up: Assign different partners or have A/B and 1/2 partners, so sometimes the child pairs with a Letter Partner and sometimes with your Number Partner. One brilliant teacher I watched had one partner stand up and move a couple of places. This takes practice!
Take Turns: Especially at the start, teach students share the talk time (e.g., "Person A speaks first, Person B responds, then swap"). This is important for all ages.
2. Retrieval Practice: It’s Not Just About What They Know—It’s About Effort and Awareness
Why Use It: Retrieval practice, at its core, is the "testing effect." The act of effortfully recalling information from memory doesn't just assess knowledge; it strengthens the memory trace itself, making that knowledge more durable and accessible in the future. It also provides valuable metacognitive feedback, revealing what students genuinely know versus what they think they know.
The Pitfalls: This strategy is frequently misunderstood as mere "review." Asking students "What did we talk about yesterday?" and taking the first correct answer is a review, not retrieval practice. True retrieval requires individual, effortful recall, making students work their minds. Overly long or high-stakes retrieval sessions can also consume valuable instructional time or induce unnecessary anxiety.
Top Tips:
Low Stakes, High Frequency: Implement retrieval practice briefly and frequently. (E.g., 5 minutes at the start of a lesson, a quick check mid-lesson, and a closing recap.) Don’t let it take over your lesson.
Insist on Effortful Thinking: Students must actively retrieve from memory without peeking. This means individual responses—perhaps on whiteboards or through short written answers—before class discussion or teacher revelation.
Feedback and Building Awareness: After students attempt recall, follow up with feedback. Encourage them to reflect: What did I remember? What was harder to recall? This helps them identify gaps and adjust their study strategies, reinforcing metacognitive awareness.
Establish Reliable Routines: Rather than constantly switching formats, develop a set of go-to retrieval routines that students become familiar with. This allows them to focus their mental effort on recalling the content—not on figuring out what the task requires. My own go-to is a directed brain dump (or free recall) followed by feedback.
3. Cold Calling, or No Hands Up, Questioning: A Time and Place
Why Use It: Cold calling ensures that every student is accountable for thinking deeply about the material, because the teacher asks a question, pauses and then names a student to respond. When students know they might be called upon, their attention and cognitive engagement typically increases significantly. This maximises the number of minds actively processing information.
The Pitfalls: When deployed poorly, cold calling can create anxiety, particularly if the classroom culture isn't built on a foundation of trust and the understanding that mistakes are part of learning. If it feels like a "gotcha" rather than an invitation to think, it can shut down participation instead of fostering it. Additionally, using it for questions that genuinely require volunteers (e.g., personal opinions) can be counterproductive.
Top Tips:
Build a Culture of Thinking: Frame cold calling as an opportunity to demonstrate thinking, not just provide the "right" answer. Emphasize that the process of articulating thought, even if imperfect, is what matters.
Mix Types of Questioning: Use cold call for factual recall. Opinions and creative responses can be a mix. An alternative to 'no hands up’ is ‘all hands up,’ which is a new favourite of mine. See this video featuring Pritesh Raichura: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j4wjUzzZMc
Prioritise Think Time: Always allow sufficient time after posing a question before cold calling. (One teacher I know takes 5 steps first.) This precious pause gives all students the opportunity to retrieve, formulate, and refine their thoughts. The quality and quantity of responses often improve dramatically with just a few extra seconds.
Oh and … Turn and Talk (Again!) If you want to hear more voices, but don’t want to put students on the spot, have them first pair with a partner.
These three strategies are powerful tools. However, their effectiveness doesn't lie in their mere implementation, but in their intentional use.
Which of these strategies do you use the most? How might you sharpen their impact in your classroom or school?
