The Ken-Ton Curriculum & Instruction Department is kicking off 2025 by focusing on high-impact practices used in our classrooms across the district. For the remainder of the school year, we’ll be highlighting a different practice each month and spotlight two of our teachers who excel at modeling this type of practice.
January's focus was “Student Talk”. This practice involves encouraging students to actively communicate, collaborate, and articulate their thoughts. It’s been proven that when students engage in meaningful discussion they improve comprehension, stretch their thinking, and build confidence to express ideas.
Two teachers who model this type of practice well are Edison Elementary teacher Jordan Parke and Kenmore West teacher Kristen Carroll.
“Jordan's classroom sparkles with joy. She has built a learning environment where her kindergarten students are empowered to communicate, explore, and learn each day with energy and curiosity,” said Instructional Support Specialist Kari Fiutak. “Jordan has high expectations for her students and knows how to scaffold experiences so they can grow and meet their goals.”
“Kristen is an outstanding educator who fosters a collaborative and inclusive learning environment, encourages curiosity and critical thinking, and creates a classroom atmosphere where every student feels empowered to excel,” said Instructional Support Specialist Tiffany Van Dewater. “Her classroom is one where students work together, ask questions, and thrive in a positive, engaging, and supportive classroom setting.”
The goal is to use Student Talk into every lesson, every day and we’re proud to say that Student Talk is the top high-impact instructional practice we use in the Ken-Ton School District.
“When students have the opportunity to express their thoughts, share experiences, and engage in meaningful discussions, they develop a deeper connection—not just to the content, but to each other, “Carroll said. “There’s something special about hearing students excitedly debate ideas, laugh as they work through challenges together, and share their personal experiences in meaningful ways.”
On average, research has shown that 70-80% of class time is dominated by teacher talk (Hattie, 2012). The goal is for our teachers to talk less and provide students with more time for productive talk that results in deeper learning. Both Parke and Carroll are using the Student Talk model to increase engagement and build confidence among our Ken-Ton students. They’ve also seen huge results from using Student Talk on a daily basis.
“It brings engagement higher in the classroom,” Parke said. “A lot of times, if we see that only three or four friends are raising their hands, we’ll ask them to do a turn and talk. Sometimes one of the partners isn’t confident but then they share ideas and then afterward you see multiple hands go up – sometimes even 20 of the 21 we have in the room. This just allows them to share ideas and gives me a better informal assessment of what the kids know.”
“When students are given the responsibility to lead discussions, ask questions, and explain their reasoning, they take more pride in their work,” Carroll said. “The most rewarding part of implementing this in my classroom is realizing that I’m not just teaching them—they are teaching me. Whether it’s through a fresh perspective, a creative approach to problem-solving, or a personal story that adds depth to our discussions, my students continuously remind me why I love teaching.”
We’re so proud of our teachers for embracing and using Student Talk in their every-day curriculum. Next month, we’ll be focusing on the high-impact practice of “Blended Learning” and will be spotlighting two more teachers who excel at using this type of practice.
