Sometimes we can leave a class feeling pretty good. The discussion went well, we think: it was lively, insightful, sophisticated. As instructors, we spoke a lot, so the class was certainly engaging for us. But if we’re honest, we may have to admit that only about a third of the students spoke—the same people who always volunteer. What were the others doing? Did they understand the reading? Did they do the reading? Who knows?

“Don’t call on me!”

Different Ways of Participating

In English classes, we need our students’ cooperation and engagement. If we’re going to teach the higher-order analysis that’s part of what it means to understand intriguing texts in our discipline, we need our students to be in on the intellectual discussions that move us all toward deeper critical thinking. Students learn by practicing. They need to make claims and gather support for those claims, not just in their writing, but in oral class discussions, which scaffold the more organized or extensive arguments they’ll make in their written projects. And we need to hear from everyone.

Of course, one way to make sure students are completing the sometimes heavy reading load in an English class is the pop quiz, which is a short, efficient way for instructors to keep students current with the readings, at least grade-conscious students. But quizzes take up time, must be graded, and don’t solve the problem of getting everyone involved in a discussion.

There are excellent written discussions that can take place, of course. Students can write briefly about a reading, exchange it with a peer in class, and keep passing it around. Or they can have a written “discussion” on Blackboard. But class time provides the best opportunity to hear students’ voices. And while there are many ways to participate in a class without actually speaking, I believe that in English classes, students can try out their ideas, make connections in an intellectual community, and learn to articulate their thoughts in front of other people. Being able to do so is part of every professional career I can think of.

The “Heads-up Questions”

However, it can be awkward for everyone if the teacher simply calls on a quiet student out of the blue, and the student either hasn’t done the reading or can’t answer the question. I dislike unpleasantness. Therefore, in recent years, in an effort to get everyone involved in a class discussion, I use “Heads-up Questions.” These are reading-related questions that I create—sometimes just a few, sometimes a dozen or so. I post them for students via Blackboard a couple of days before our class meeting.

Here’s what makes the discussion of the “Heads-up Questions” different from other discussions and other questions. Everyone understands that in the next class I will directly call on students to respond to those questions. No volunteers or raising of hands. I call on students, but it’s not out of the blue because they have a chance to prepare a response, and they know there’s a pretty good chance they’ll get called on during that portion of class. (They also understand that I won’t call on them directly to answer questions I haven’t let them prepare for.)

Here’s how I use Heads-up Questions in class:

• I designate part of the class when we will be using the Heads-up Questions (usually the first 20 minutes or so, but sometimes later);
• During that time, students know I will be calling on people at random. No volunteers;
• During that time, I will ask only the Heads-up Questions that I’ve sent them ahead of time, so they will have had time before class to be ready with a response;
• The responses are all oral. I do not require students to write out their answers. Nor do I collect written responses. But I expect students to be ready with a response if or when I call on them; (However, sometimes students who were absent will ask if they can write out the answers to the Heads-up Questions. It’s a good way for them to participate somewhat in a missed class.)
• I call on as many students as time allows, especially, perhaps, the ones who never volunteer. But I try to mix it up. Sometimes I call on everyone. Sometimes I don’t;
• I have my grade book out when we’re doing Heads-up Questions (which unnerves some students, I’ll admit). I do not formally grade their answers A-F, but I record a check, check plus, or check minus next to their name for answers that are fine, really good, or not-so-good, respectively. These marks count toward class participation. Students are allowed to “pass.” (I don’t wish to traumatize anyone.) But a “pass” is a check minus, and students are advised not to make a habit out of that response;
• Once the “Heads-up Questions” discussion comes to an end, students know we’re back to a regular, open discussion, where volunteers are once again welcome.

Instructors who wish to try “Heads-up Questions” to encourage participation by all should design their own questions, questions that fit the reading and promote whatever objectives the instructor has for that class. Some examples of mine are below. As you will see, they are not generic, but reading-specific. They will therefore probably not make sense to you, but they would make sense to students doing the readings.

• Fu writes, “ …my analysis of the stages of ESL writing could sometimes be artificial, rigid, or even over simplistic” (84). What does she mean? What makes her say that?
• What are some connections between the practices foregrounded in Fu’s chapter and some of the practices we’ve been discussing so far in class?
• What role did writing for publication play for these students?
• How is “cubing” an invention strategy?
• What are some affordances of screencasting?
• In “Learning to Praise,” Daiker cites Paul Diederich’s research, which showed that . . . (finish this sentence in your own words, followed by the page where Diederich is summarized and cited.)
• Daiker also cites Dragga’s study, which showed that. . . (finish this sentence in your own words, followed by the page where Dragga is cited.)
• What are your reactions to Diederich’s and Dragga’s studies?

You get the idea. By now, I have hundreds of Heads-up Questions. Each semester, I reuse some of them, tweak others, or write new ones. Preparing them does take time, but once the questions are prepared and posted, I know that a good chunk of the class itself is already prepared, and so are the students.

Not everyone loves the Heads-up Questions. And occasionally I forgo them if I think of a better plan. But overall, I’m happy with them because I get to call on every student, guilt free, and I get to hear all students’ voices. I’m confident now that most students are doing the readings. Most importantly, it seems to me that getting the quieter students to speak during the Heads-up Questions portion of the class has made it easier for those students to subsequently volunteer during the regular, open discussions.