Problem Solving Audit (adapted from Nrich: ) Aspects to More information on each aspect Comments consider (This could be RAG rated for each class) 1. Who does Generally, in a strong problem-solving environment the most of the teacher needs to be doing around 30% of the talking and the talking in students 70%. whole-class What do you notice about the balance in your classroom? parts of the What type of things are you saying when you are talking? lesson? Explaining how to do something? Asking questions? 2. What Do you ask closed questions you see how the such as, ‘can questions do I questions such as, system system works?’ or open ‘what ask? can you see emerging in this problem?’. 3. Who Is it the mostly the same students? answers the Is it the more articulate ones? questions? Is it more often boys or girls? 4. How well do I listen to the Do I respond by telling the whole class what I think a particular student said without checking with them? students’ answers and Do I slightly adjust what they said to make better sense or fit seek to a ‘better/right answer’? understand Do I ask the student a such as I ‘clarification’ question, ‘can what they are just check what I think you said was ...’? saying? Do I praise them for a fabulous answer? 5. What do I Do I simply evaluate their answers with comments such as do with the ‘Good’, ‘Well done’, ‘Right’, ‘OK’, ‘No’, ‘Think again’? students’ Do I carry on with the next thing I was going to say? answers? Do I ask other students to comment on what was said?
Problem Solving Audit (adapted from Nrich: ) Aspects to consider More information on each aspect (This could be RAG rated for each class) Comments 1. Who does most of the talking in whole-class parts of the lesson? Generally, in a strong problem-solving environment the teacher needs to be doing around 30% of the talking and the students 70%. What do you notice about the balance in your classroom? What type of things are you saying when you are talking? Explaining how to do something? Asking questions? 2. What questions do I ask? Do you ask closed questions such as, ‘can you see how the system works?’ or open questions such as, ‘what system can you see emerging in this problem?’. 3. Who answers the questions? Is it the mostly the same students? Is it the more articulate ones? Is it more often boys or girls? 4. How well do I listen to the students’ answers and seek to understand what they are saying? Do I respond by telling the whole class what I think a particular student said without checking with them? Do I slightly adjust what they said to make better sense or fit a ‘better/right answer’? Do I ask the student a ‘clarification’ question, such as ‘can I just check what I think you said was ...’? 5. What do I do with the students’ answers? Do I praise them for a fabulous answer? Do I simply evaluate their answers with comments such as ‘Good’, ‘Well done’, ‘Right’, ‘OK’, ‘No’, ‘Think again’? Do I carry on with the next thing I was going to say? Do I ask other students to comment on what was said?
problem_solving_audit.docx