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Somewhere Out There · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 11 Location: China

I've been teaching college English majors and some secondary students for one term. I have struggled through the term to get the students to stop answering for each other. It makes it very difficult to assess the student, especially their comprehension. I keep telling the students but, as I have been told, they do not want their classmate to be embarrassed by not knowing the answer.
Any thoughts, ideas, especially possible solutions would be appreciated.
Colleen

evaforsure · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 1217

It takes a whole village to pass a test..

chrissy76 · Joined: 01 Jan 2009 Posts: 8

Are the students you're asking the question to not able to answer at all, or is it one dominant student? If the former, the student is probably in a class to high for them, if the latter, interrupt the dominant student and tell them to wait their turn.

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

It is a very very ingrained habit, not limited to your classroom.

Easy answers. .. none

persistence. How many students in your class? Sometimes be selective about which questions you ask certain students

Talk to your class leader

But I have found it takes persistance. However I rarely talk to my students openly in class, rather talk to them in their groups, where they are a little less likely to do this

A definite Chinese habit, no real why

Hansen · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 737 Location: central China

Briefly explain your reasoning. Deduct points from the students who answer for others. Have the student approach your desk so he/she is on your ground. The students near the desk will answer a few times, until you start deducting points from their score.

Students who sit near your desk and answer for the students you are interviewing, make them move to the back of the room. If they are uncooperative, deduct points.

Make sure they understand that you own the classroom and are willing to kick a few rear ends to run it your way.

You may have to sacrifice one student to get your point across. I don't mind spilling blood for the larger good. I had one student removed from my class by security. Very effective in securing order.

TexasHighway · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 779

Tell the students who speak out of turn that you appreciate their enthusiasm, but by answering questions aimed at your classmate, they are actually impeding his or her progress. On the first day of each term, I always let my students know the rules, both orally and in writing. But as Hansen has said, sometimes you have to make an example of someone before the students realize that you mean business.

toteach · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 273

Get a deck of cards. In front of the students write their names on the cards, or have them do it for you. (One deck can be used for more than one class, as you can write one class's names on the front and one on the back).

Collect the cards, shuffle, and have a random student pick a card.

If the student chosen provides a decent answer to your question, make a big deal of leaving it out of the pack, maybe put it on the blackboard, and going on to the next student. If the student doesn't do a decent job, put the name back into the cards, so that student can be called again.

Resembles a game, but really keeps the "good" speakers from dominating, while giving the lower levels some much needed practice. PLUS this way it is not the teacher calling on the student... The longer I teach a certain class, the less subjective I tend to be. This route takes the power of calling on students away from the teacher, and makes things much more random/fair.