GES Grizzlies · DoDEA Europe East · Family Guide · SY 2026–27
A New Classroom Participation Routine at Grafenwoehr Elementary School
What is changing, why it matters, and how you can support your child at home.
For Families
Dear GES Families,
We are introducing a research-based change to how teachers ask questions in our classrooms. You may hear your child talk about it — and we want you to know exactly what is changing, why the evidence strongly supports it, and how you can reinforce it at home.
What Is Changing
The Old Approach
1
Teacher asks a question
2
Students raise hands to volunteer an answer
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Teacher picks one student — often the same ones
4
The rest of the class watches or disengages
The New GES Approach
1
Teacher asks a question
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All students think about their answer (think time)
3
Teacher purposefully selects who responds
4
Hand-raising is reserved for asking questions only
Why Are We Making This Change? The Research
Evidence Base
1
In a typical classroom, roughly 50% of students participate little or not at all when hand-raising is the standard. The same small group — usually confident, high-achieving students — answers most questions in every lesson.
Schnitzler, Holzberger & Seidel (2020)
2
When teachers use purposeful selection instead of hand-raising, significantly more students participate voluntarily — and that participation continues to increase the longer the routine is in place.
Dallimore, Hertenstein & Platt (2013) · Impact of Cold-Calling on Voluntary Participation
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In classrooms using purposeful selection, girls and quieter students answer the same number of questions as more dominant peers — with no increase in discomfort for either group. Equity improves significantly.
Dallimore et al. (2019) · Leveling the Playing Field: How Cold Calling Affects Class Discussion Gender Equity
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Classroom discussion has an effect size of d=0.82 in John Hattie's Visible Learning — the largest synthesis of education research ever conducted. This effect is only achievable when all students are cognitively engaged, not just willing volunteers.
Hattie, J. (2009+) · Visible Learning: A Synthesis of 1,800+ Meta-Analyses
What Your Child Will Experience at School
1
Think time before answering
Teachers will give students quiet time to think before selecting anyone. Your child will learn that pausing and thinking is a strength — not a sign of not knowing.
2
Being called on without a raised hand
This is intentional and supportive — not punitive. If your child doesn't know, they can say "I'm still thinking" or "Can I hear another idea first?" — and that is completely acceptable.
3
New response strategies in class
Students will use mini whiteboards, partner discussions, choral responses, and random selection instead of hand-raising. These give every student a voice every time.
4
Raising hands only for questions
Your child will be taught that a raised hand means: "I have a question I need help with." This honors curiosity as the most important signal a learner can send.
How to Support Your Child at Home — Conversation Starters
"What question did you ask in class today?" — This honors the new purpose of hand-raising and validates curiosity as the most important act in the classroom.
"What did your teacher ask today? What was your answer?" — Reinforces that their thinking matters even when they weren't the one called on.
"Did you get to share your answer with a partner or on your whiteboard?" — Connects to the response strategies they are using every day.
"If you weren't sure of the answer, what did you say?" — Helps them practice the comfortable language for uncertainty, which is a critical thinking skill.
Connection to DoDEA Goals
This initiative directly supports DoDEA's High Quality Instructional Practices (HQIP) framework — specifically the goals of active engagement (Indicator 3), formative assessment (Indicator 5), differentiation (Indicator 7), and student discourse (Indicator 12). It is aligned with GES's school improvement plan and the 20/60/20 instructional model.
Questions? We Want to Hear From You
If your child expresses confusion or discomfort with this routine, or if you have questions about how it works in practice, please reach out to us directly. This is a school-wide initiative and we want every GES family to feel informed, supported, and confident that this change benefits their child.
"Educate, Engage, and Empower each student to succeed in a dynamic world."