By Susanna Molitoris-Miller
Every faculty member appreciates a go-to student who will dependably raise their hand and likely have the correct answer when the rest of the class seems reluctant to share. These students are often considered “good” students due to their enthusiasm, reliability, and speed. In some cases, one must take explicit care to ensure class does not devolve into a dialogue between this student and the instructor with the rest of the class serving only as witnesses. But what can be done if only one or two students volunteer to speak? Surely there are other clever and intelligent students in the room, like those who surprise us with their outstanding performance on the first test or assessment despite quiet anonymity in the classroom. How might we elevate these and other voices in our classrooms?
One possible solution relates to speed. The quickest thinkers are first to develop an answer and likely first to raise their hands. However, excellence is not inherently linked to swiftness; many of the greatest thinkers in our respective fields plod through their analyses with deliberate and often slower precision. When we rely too heavily on this speedy student sample, we not only start to hear the repetition of the same voices but also limit the opportunity for more methodical minds to ponder the problem fully. Like a “spoiler” for a good book, movie, or other media, revealing an answer too quickly can ruin the ending, thus denying slower thinkers an opportunity to experience their own “ah-ha” moment. Of course, we only have a limited amount of face-to-face class time with our students, surely we cannot wait for every single person on every single question. So how can we create a space for the slower thinkers to participate in class and connect more deeply with the content being taught?
I like to use a classroom strategy inspired by a quote I encountered in a parenting forum. It said “Popcorn is prepared in the same pot, in the same heat, in the same oil, and yet… the kernels do NOT pop at the same time. Don’t compare your child to others. Their turn to pop is coming.” I immediately related this idea to the students in my classroom and developed a pedagogical tool I like to call “thinking popcorn.”
I introduce this norm by sharing the quote with the class. I emphasize that we all think and problem-solve at different speeds and, as a former student noted, once the popcorn is done it doesn’t matter which popped first or last because it all tastes good in the end. I tell students that during mid-lecture questions or structured independent work time, I will often give them 1-3 minutes to think over a posed question. When they feel they have an answer I ask them to briefly "pop" which is to say raise their hand and lower it once I look their way. I assured them I would not cold-call anyone just because they said they had an answer. However, I will sometimes make eye contact with a student I have not heard from in a while and encourage them to consider sharing their thoughts on this question. If possible I might circulate the room and explicitly ask a student to share their thinking with me, and, if appropriate, ask if they would be willing to share that with the whole class.
I believe this tool has four effects: (1) It helps me get immediate feedback for teaching. I can adjust time as needed depending on the hands that go up to ensure I afford enough time to consider without experiencing a lag in engagement. It also gives me a more immediate sense of how the class is doing with a certain topic before formal assessment. If all the hands “pop” rather quickly I can move on at a bit more rapid pace, but if almost no hands are “popping” I might need to revisit an earlier concept or provide a bit more supportive details when reviewing the answer to the question. (2) It prevents students from experiencing “spoilers” from their peers who provide a solution before others have had a chance to puzzle it out. (3) It promotes accountability to my students. It signals that I believe they each can think independently and that I expect them to formulate their answer to the problem rather than relying on their faster and more outspoken peers to fill in the blanks for them. (4) It increases engagement across my class, especially with my slower thinkers or more introverted students. It allows slow thinkers to arrive at a solution they are willing to share, increasing the number of voices in the classroom. Seeing my quiet thinkers look up with some glint of excitement provides them a means of silently telling me “I got it” and for me to acknowledge them with pride through something as simple as momentary eye contact. Whether a student is a fast or slow thinker and regardless of whether they even got the right answer, providing this think time gives all students a chance to unpack and deliberate the posed question, creating a productive tension in anticipation of revealing or discussing the answer. Similar to "think, pair, share," everyone has some thoughts on the topic, making them more prepared to engage with the solution and others' ideas.
If needed, I remind students that sometimes a few kernels that haven't popped yet are left in the bag. Sometimes they “pop” after hearing a classmate’s solution, and sometimes they don’t. If that is the case, I encourage them to “pop” into office hours so we can work on it a bit more together.
Susanna Molitoris-Miller is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Kutztown University.