The Best Classroom Discussions, Hands Down

I'm Alfie Cone.

My view is that cold calling is repugnant.

Its message is, you'd rather not contribute to this discussion we're having right now, but I don't care about your preference, and I'll use my power to force you to contribute.

I mean, if that's not disrespectful, then the word disrespectful has no meaning.

Also, it harms everybody.

It's sort of like when kids are forcibly isolated, sent to a timeout area in front of the whole class.

Obviously, insulting and demeaning to the kid who's the victim of that kind of practice.

But...

It also sets an example.

The other kids who are watching are thinking, this could be me next time, and they feel less safe.

I think that's the case with cold calling as well.

I'm almost tempted to ask a teacher who engages in a practice like this, What if an administrator at a faculty meeting did this to you? Or a speaker at a workshop? Except that's really not the right question to ask because there are some teachers who are quite comfortable in the spotlight and wouldn't mind.

The point is a lot of adults, and even more kids, do mind.

Perspective taking is not about imagining our reaction in their situation.

It's about imagining the point of view of this particular person.

In this case, the child who would rather not speak.

So a few years ago, I posted a critical remark along those lines about the idea of cold calling and got a lot of replies.