How Do I Phrase This?: Five Phrases that Help Me in the Classroom

There’s a lot of improvisation involved in engaged teaching. When in the classroom, you have to respond to your students’ questions, concerns, and needs. You have to mediate difficult conversations, encourage quiet classes, and help students take their ideas to the next level. Sometimes it can help your improv to have a script in your back pocket.

These are five phrases which help me foster class discussion and push students’ thinking. I use these phrases to encourage my students, to challenge my students, and to further the discussion between them. Let’s get into it!

The first phrase I love to use is I see how you got there. I’m going to be honest and tell you that I stole this phrase from one of my own professors. He would use it to respond to students who incorrectly or incompletely answered a question. As a student, I found it reassuring; it made me feel like it was okay to get it wrong in his class. We could get it wrong without anyone thinking we were stupid or incapable. As an instructor, I have found it so helpful in correcting students without dismissing them or shutting them down. If students are afraid of looking stupid, they will be afraid to speak in class. This phrase allows me to acknowledge a students’ contribution and support their effort before gently guiding them in a different direction.

The next phrase I frequently incorporate is That’s a great question! This phrase emphasizes the importance of inquiry in the classroom, demonstrating to my students that there is no need to feel stupid for asking a question. Perhaps more importantly, though, it reminds me that I do not have all of the answers. My students will sometimes ask me questions that I don’t have an answer for. And that’s a wonderful thing! I love to tell my students when I don’t know something because then I have the chance to show them how we can find an answer together. I’ll pull up a database on the projector and work through the process of finding an answer with them or I’ll tell them places we could start to look after class. It provides an unplanned opportunity to develop my students’ critical thinking and research skills.

The third phrase I rely upon in the classroom is Tell me more about that. Sometimes a student will ask a question or offer a comment that I have a hard time understanding. When I tell my students that I’m struggling to understand them, they often put the blame on themselves. They think they are asking a stupid question or doing a bad job explaining their ideas. They shut down. I have found that when I ask them to tell me more, they naturally clarify their question or comment, rephrasing it or providing examples, and it answers all of my unspoken questions without causing them unnecessary self-doubt. Added bonus: it gives me a little extra time to internally process and clarify my own thoughts!

The next phrase I use is actually a question: Does this remind anyone of anything else? When conversation stalls in the classroom, when students are unsure how to articulate their thoughts, or when a student brings up a particularly important or interesting idea, I like to ask the class if the specific text, passage, or concept reminds them of anything. This helps them connect to other more familiar texts and ideas which can reveal themes, techniques, and implications we might not have otherwise discussed. It allows them to introduce ideas and concepts that excite them! Because they are connecting to an idea they are already familiar with, students are more confident in their perspective and they are better able to explain their observations and the potential significance.

Furthermore, it encourages them to build on the ideas of their classmates. The familiar texts and concepts familiar to one student are often familiar to other students. As one student makes connections, I like to encourage other students to join in. This transforms the call-and-response format into an actual discussion. Students directly address one another, encourage the ideas of their peers, and become more comfortable engaging the material.

The last phrase I invoke is I’ve never thought of it that way before. When a student offers a surprising interpretation or observation, I want them to follow that train of thought. I’m not always equipped to seamlessly guide them into new terrain. Instead of redirecting the discussion back to my comfortable area, I turn my class into a collaborative effort. By using this phrase, I let my students know that this idea is new to me as well, and invite them to work with me to explore and discuss its potential. They become the experts.

Feel free to adapt these phrases as needed or share your own favorite questions and comments to use in the classroom. I’d love to see what phrases have helped your teaching improve!