#141: Tired of blank stares and the same 5 hands up? Here's how to get whole-class engagement (WITHOUT relying on cold-calling)

Season 7 Episode 141

This tiny tweak could change your whole classroom vibe.

If you’ve ever found yourself gripping onto those five students who always put their hands up while the rest of the class stares blankly out the window—or worse, starts low-key mutinies—you are NOT alone.

In this episode, I’m giving you a front seat to a game-changing shift I made in how I asked students to engage. It's a small upgrade that completely changed the energy in my classroom. And no, it's not a paddle pop stick in sight.

I’ll take you back to the chaos I experienced when cold calling backfired, why the same students always put their hands up, and what I realised was actually the goal when it comes to whole-class engagement (hint: it's not just getting more mouths moving).

You’ll hear practical ways to upgrade your questioning on the spot, why “write it on your sticky note and slap it on your forehead” can be pedagogical GOLD, and how micro tweaks like this can be low-effort but high-impact.

If your class is giving “two kids do all the work and everyone else is coasting,” this episode is your roadmap out of it.

Let’s roll the tape!

What you’ll learn:

Why cold calling, name pickers, and paddle pop sticks might not be helping you build engagement (and what might work better)
How to shift from passive invitations to explicit, all-in instructions
Four easy ways to upgrade classic questions like “Who can find the simile?” and “What’s the main message?”
Why shout-outs, whiteboards, and sticky notes beat raised hands any day of the week
The sneaky ways we accidentally teach students it’s OK to opt out—and how to change that
How to engage quiet processors and anxious students without triggering defiance or freeze responses
One surprising tool for building rapport while building engagement

Resources & Links:

👉 Join the $1 Kickstart: https://www.the-unteachables.com/kickstart

👉 Waitlist for The Behaviour Club: https://www.the-unteachables.com/tbc

Podcast Episode Details

#141: Tired of blank stares and the same 5 hands up? Here's how to get whole-class engagement (WITHOUT relying on cold-calling)