“I Think You Mean …” Potential Perils of Teacher Paraphrasing and Alternative Responses for Student Engagement

Abstract

The present article highlights teacher paraphrasing, a response habit that can hinder student problem solving, authentic classroom dialogue, and promotion of a democratic classroom. Specifically, it discusses reasons teachers may have for paraphrasing student comments, along with potential impediments for student learning. Alternative response behaviors are proposed for encouraging student discussion, creativity, and self-evaluation: listening, wait-time, nonverbal behaviors, acknowledgment, asking for elaboration, and using student ideas.

Keywords:

• Paraphrasing
• classroom interactions
• teacher responses
• instructional behaviors

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.