Every voice matters
The Hindu
A teacher’s role is important to encourage quiet children to come forward. Group projects help with this
Group projects help children learn to work as teams. Typically, such projects end with a presentation, which leads the bolder ones to take centre stage. The others have little choice but to be quiet. If a teacher notices this and gives the quieter student a chance to speak, tension builds, as the child has to compete with the more ‘confident’ speaker in the team who has in all probability covered every bit.
Establishing upfront that whole class conversations are meant for everyone’s voice to be heard is crucial. This can be done by asking the class to come up with ideas to ensure that everyone gets a chance to speak. Whole class conversations could be in the form of group presentations or a group discussion based on the subject being taught.