Developing Student Discourse Professional Learning

Fosters academic rigor and student agency through productive discussion

This 8-session course supports educators to build a robust discourse culture where students take ownership of their learning through collaborative talk and reasoning. 

Purchase Student Discourse Professional Learning

My experience with taking the Discourse Course was very smooth and easy…being able to see examples being used in actual classrooms helped me to adapt those lessons in my own classroom.


Kalen Simon

First Grade Teacher

Boone Elementary School

This course will emphasize the increase in rigor and student ownership that student discourse affords. Teachers will systematically be taken through the steps to build their own discourse practice, and to develop the strategies to troubleshoot when challenges arise.

These include:

  • the steps of establishing a discourse culture; discourse fundamentals
  • anticipating and troubleshooting challenges
  • ratcheting up the rigor of discourse over time
  • gradually relinquishing ownership to students over time

Course Outline

8 sessions designed to establish and deepen discourse practices Each session is designed to take approximately one hour.

  • Session 1 · Classroom Discourse: What and Why?
  • Session 2 · Creating Shared Expectations
  • Session 3 · Structures and Routines for Discourse
  • Session 4 · Getting Students to Talk… and to Listen
  • Session 5 · Upping the Ante: Pressing for Reasoning and Building Interactive Discussion
  • Session 6 · Development of Students’ Discourse Skills
  • Session 7 · How Do We Link Talking to Learning Throughout the School Day?
  • Session 8 · Visible Markers of High Quality Student Discourse: Five Vital Actions

Course #2

Developing Student Discourse

Preview Coming Soon

Developing Student Discourse Course

FOR COACHES 

SERP offers this course with an additional introductory session for coaches, along with a companion coaching guide. The digital version is included with a Coach license, or a printed version can be purchased.

A coach license provides access to the same 8 session course as the teacher license. However, a Session 0 introduces the course to coaches and provides access to a detailed coaching guide. Coaches can use the guide online, download the guide, or order a spiral bound copy.

Purchase Developing Student Discourse Course for Teachers and/or Coaches

The teachers actually want to do it, they want to take time and look at the videos because it’s helpful. It’s good stuff.

Lakia Kenan

Instructional Coach

Lawrence E. Boone Elementary School

Companion Product:

Discourse 5x8 Card

The Discourse 5x8 card is a resource that is designed to be literally 5” by 8”. It provides a set of “look fors” that allow coaches or administrators to identify features of high quality discourse that students have and have not mastered, providing a focus for feedback and collaborative conversations with teachers. This 5x8 Card is available digitally within the Developing Student Discourse course and comes printed if the printed coaching guide is purchased.