A Conversation for Instruction

          An Instructional Conversation is a simple way, ok maybe a detailed way, of talking with a student to figure out how best they are learning.  Of course there is so much more to it than that.  It is recommended for use among learners who are struggling as well.  It is the talk in which ideas are explored rather than answers to questions being provided or evaluated.  Claude Goldenberg has five critical features of this interaction.
          1.  It is interesting and engaging.
          2.  It is about an idea or a concept that has meaning and relevance for students.
          3.  It has a focus that, while it may shift as the discussion evolves, remains discernible throughout.
          4.  There is a high level of participation, without undue domination by any one individual,  particularly the teacher.
          5.  Student engage in extended discussions--conversations--with the teacher and among themselves.
           What an amazing way to work with a student.  Of course getting a student involved this way is a trickier step than one might think.  My goal is to work in Special Education, particularly a Behavior Focus classroom.  I passed one such classroom just the other day and heard some impressive swear words coming out of it.  So with a student like that, how does one engage the student?  I wish I knew the answers to this.  So often I see students I have worked with that are being arrested or tried on illegal acts.  Is an Instructional Conversation even possible?  And for what purpose?  I'm hoping to be able to use this in my own classroom.  Without having done it yet, I'm hoping that in my classroom the conversation will always be open to allow students the ability to possibly engage in a way they aren't used to.
          Oftentimes in my coaching I am asking a swimmer how something felt.  If I don't necessarily have the answers right away I use the tactic of helping them to define what is going on.  This allows them to be more in tune with their own body.  An Instructional Conversation isn't any different.  I'm excited to take what I already do in the pool setting, into the classroom setting and help students learn differently and pull things out of them that they didn't know were in there.