Teachers come across all different types of students with unique personalities. They have to work hard to reach all of their students on a daily basis. There are students who are willing to participate in class discussions, but there are others who are reserved and would rather listen than speak their minds.

There are plenty of ways to get those quiet students talking, says middle school teacher Cossondra George in an article on EducationWeek.org. In the article, George offers seven strategies to "get quiet kids talking."

The first strategy George offers is to "tell students in advance that you will be calling on them to give an answer."

"You can ease students into this process by asking them simple questions: What numbers are important in the problem, which character was his/her favorite in that section, or to remind the class which question everyone is on," George said. "As you build success with structured scaffolded answers, reluctant students will become more willing to share their ideas and get more involved in classroom conversations."

Another strategy is to "create opportunities for students to share their group work, either with another group or the entire class."

"One example is to have two quiet students work together to present on their group’s work," she said. "If possible, have them practice with just you or another student before presenting to the entire class. The security of knowing they’ve walked through the process once—and the comfort of having being partnered with someone who shares their fears—can lead students to success."

One last strategy is to "set aside time to work with quiet students one on one."

"You’ll often discover quiet students know a lot about the material taught in your class—but are simply intimidated by the process of speaking out," George said. "Ask them ways you can encourage them to share with the class. Offer them opportunities to talk to just you. Have them suggest who they are comfortable talking in front of."

Read the full story and comment below. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor