Courtney’s working assumption is that these students may lack confidence in their understanding of the text, which inhibits their participation. While she believes her current instructional structures provide ample opportunity for student’s to share, she is interested in exploring whether intentionally planning paired and small-group discussions prior to whole-group sharing will positively impact participation and strengthening the student’s confidence.
During our conversation, we worked to clarify and quantify elements of her plan that initially felt vague. Courtney’s long-term vision is a more balanced and equitable whole-group discussion where participation is distributed more evenly, rather than dominated by the same few students.
Instructional Context:
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Whole-group reading instruction: 50–60 minutes daily
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Comprehension discussion time: varies across the week, totaling approximately 45 minutes weekly
Planned Strategies:
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Inside–Outside Circle
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Pair-Up to Share
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Individual written thinking on sticky notes prior to partner and group discussion
These strategies are intended to scaffold thinking, build confidence, and provide structured rehearsal before whole-group participation.
Courtney shared that this feels like the right time for this professional focus. She now has a curriculum that supports deeper-level thinking and participation, coaching support to maintain focus and accountability, and a group of students she believes are ready to deepen their comprehension work. She sees strong potential in this class and is eager to examine how intentional facilitation and scaffolding of discussions may positively influence students’ independent engagement and discourse skills.
Courtney is excited to begin implementation next week. We will meet again to reflect on early observations, review participation patterns, and determine next steps.