Think- Pair-Share January 2019

The simple ideas are often the best and most effective. Ms O'Meara reminded us that Think-Pair-Share is still one of the easiest and most effective tactics that can be used in the classroom to assess knowledge and scaffold student learning.

As our Wellbeing Coordinator, she also highlighted how Think-Pair-Share can combat loneliness and isolation as everyone is made to feel welcome and part of a group. A student who may lack confidence in their ability or who may just be naturally shy will feel supported and encouraged to speak, first with just one other person and then to a larger group. Often the teacher may ask a question: 'What did this pair or this group come up with?' Students are more likely to feel confident answering when it is a group effort and they are not being put on the spot.

Ms O'Meara demonstrated Think-Pair-Share with a problem solving exercise used in Maths/ Technical Graphics. Students try to solve the problem on their own first, then share their work with another student. Each student should explain how they solved the problem which again, reinforces the learning. Each pair might then join up with another pair to compare how they solved the problem. By the time the teacher asks for feedback, students will have explained their answer and heard other answers a number of times and will feel more at ease with whole class feedback.

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