Description

This is one of the most frequently utilized and most effective classroom teaching strategies. Learners think about a topic all by themselves. Next, they pair up and discuss their thoughts. Then they pair-share what they discussed with the entire class.

Advantages

• Moves learners from individual thinking to social thinking in a transparent process.
• Helps learners to vocalize their thoughts in small and large groups.
• Helps learners to see other people’s perspectives by encouraging communication, comparison, and contrast.

Disadvantages

• Learners need the confidence to speak up in front of the whole class. I have found some learners like to have the comfort of flip chart (butcher) paper as a prop when presenting their discussions to the class.

Implementation

1. Step 1: Think. Learners are given 2 minutes to think about the topic on their own and develop five bullet points on their own.
2. Step 2: Pair. Learners get together in pairs (or groups of 3, if appropriate) to compare and contrast their ideas. Learners discuss the ideas and come up with a collective group of ideas.
3. Step 3: Share. Each group shares their thoughts with the entire class. When a group presents, other classmates can question ideas or take notes to add to their group’s beliefs.