Tackling teacher talk time

How much do you talk in class as the teacher or tutor? What is the ratio of teacher talk to student talk? Are these questions even important to ask?

Our teacher talk may tell us something of our beliefs about teaching and learning. Is the learner seen as an ’empty vessel’ to be filled with knowledge, for example? In that model of teaching and learning, teacher talk time is likely to be high, with the consequence that students may disengage from learning. Reducing teacher talk is not just about talking less, but exploring how to engage learners through student-centred tasks and more co-operative models of learning.

Teacher trainer David Barrs summarises some key points about teacher talk in this quick chat:

Sounds like something you need to know more about? Keep an eye out for David’s webinar which explores these ideas with you, including some interactive tasks to prompt your own thinking about teacher talk. You can also connect with David on Yammer or via David.Barrs@navitas.com.