Silent Conversation

When and Why

This quiet activity creates curiosity and anticipation (“How will my partner respond? What’s everybody else writing about?”). The hush that descends upon the room during Silent Conversation changes up the classroom dynamic and allows for quiet reflection. Use it when you want students to slow down long enough to hear their own voices, discover new ideas, engage in deep thinking, and pay respextful attention to their partner’s perspectives.

How to Facilitate

1. Choose a prompt for the silent conversation, aligned with a learning objective [see below for example prompts]. Consider how you will pair students to maximize the probability of productive, engaged conversations.
2. Explain the purpose of the activity, for example “The purpose of today’s Silent Conversation is to give you time to explore your ideas about ____ by exchanging notes with a partner. Because the conversation is silent and happens on paper, you get to think deeply and really pay attention to what your partner has to say. I realize it may feel strange to sit in silence while your partner is writing, and I’m going to ask you to give it a try. I’m confident it will help everyone slow down long enough to do some really smart thinking.”
3. Explain the process of the activity.
   • Each pair of students will need one piece of paper and two writing utensils.
   • One student will be the first writer while their partner thinks quietly, then they will pass the paper to the second student who will write a response.
   • The partners will pass the paper back and forth as long as time allows.
4. If you anticipate students will need scaffolded support to have an engaging conversation on paper, ask a student to demonstrate with you on the board or on chart paper, or display a model conversation [see example below]. Ask students what they notice each partner does to keep the conversation moving.
5. Display your prompt, and let students know how long they will have to think and write. If you will be collecting students’ papers afterwards, let them know at the outset. Emphasize that students should avoid editing each other’s writing — instead focus on what their partner has to say.
6. Use a timer to help students share writing time evenly, indicating when they should finish their sentence and pass the paper. Circulate and support active participation as you go by affirming effort and reminding students of expectations (e.g., “I notice you’re elaborating on your responses” or “Remember to ask your partner to explain their thinking.”)
7. Let students know when they are on their final “turn” with the paper. When time is up, debrief with some of these questions:
   • What is something your partner wrote that stood out to you?
   • What did your realize about ___?
   • What was it like to engage in a silent conversation?
   • How was this similar and different to talking aloud with a partner?
   • What social and emotional skills did you need to use to be able to have a conversation in this way?

Examples

Examples of silent conversation prompts for science, social studies, ELA, and world languages

An example of a silent conversation

Modifications

• If there are an uneven number of students, you can form a trio. Ask them to use two different pieces of paper to avoid too much downtime when only one person is writing.
• If students struggle to stay quiet or sustain a Silent Conversation, start with a very short Silent Conversation and work up to longer ones.
• Play music! This can increase students’ comfort with the silence required during this activity.

Contributed by:

This is a modified version of the Silent Conversation activator, published by Engaging Schools.
Frazier, N. & Mehle, D. (2013). Activators: Classroom Strategies for Engaging Middle and High School Students. Engaging Schools. Download the full text for free here.

Engaging Schools was a national nonprofit organization that collaborated with educators to create equitable and engaging classrooms and schools that support students’ social, emotional, and academic learning and development. Many of their publications and resources are now hosted by CASEL at casel.org/engagingschools.