How Student Talk Doubles Learning: Making Classrooms More Socratic
What if the key to doubling student learning is simply getting them talking?
In this episode, Daniel Rock and Jason Adair unpack research showing how student discussion can double the rate of learning — and why most classrooms still rely on teacher talk 80% of the time. Together with Ashley Shaw, they explore how teachers can create classrooms that sound more like Socratic seminars and less like lectures.
What You Will Learn
- Why teachers often default to “funneling” questions — and how to ask focusing questions that spark real thinking
- Simple moves to reduce teacher talk and build student ownership
- How turn-and-talks, sentence stems and discussion structures help every student’s voice be heard
- Tips for supporting English learners and shy students during class discussion
- The importance of reflection and metacognition for both teachers and students
By the end, you’ll have practical tools to make your classroom a place where students don’t just listen — they learn by speaking, thinking and questioning like Socrates.
You can find this episode on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.