Circle the Sage - CTL - Collaborative for Teaching and Learning

STRATEGY FOCUS

Circle the Sage

PURPOSE

This Academic Dialogue strategy provides students with the opportunity to share what they know with other students. The students (sages) who are knowledgeable and comfortable sharing about a given topic spread about the space and the small groups of other students circle around to ask questions, listen, and take notes to enhance and deepen their understanding of a topic.

PROCESS

Poll the group or predetermine students who are knowledgeable and comfortable sharing about a given topic (sages).
Spread the sages around the classroom space.
Divide the remaining students evenly among the sages.
Instruct the sages to share what they know while listeners ask questions and take notes.
Ask the listeners to return to their seats or table groups and share findings.

PROBING QUESTIONS

CONSIDERATIONS

Why were you selected to share with the group?
What did you learn through this process?
What is the value of learning from your peers?

Students don’t have to be experts; they might just have information to share.
Give students sentence stems to use when first practicing this strategy until they can formulate their own questions.
Consider what notetaking structures may need to be put into place for the listeners, especially during the first attempts of using this strategy.
Remind students to thank the sages for sharing with them.
Keep group sizes to a minimum of 3-5 students.

CONTENT APPLICATIONS