If students are speaking 70% of the time and teachers only 30%, where is the learning happening? Do the kids magically teach one another? I think not.
Get back to the teachers speaking 70% of the time. And what's more, let 100% of that speaking be about reading, writing, arithmetic, etc, and not their own home life, political beliefs, and any other naughty word not directly related to teaching kids.
I found it appalling when my middle school aged kids would come home with all sorts of 'personal' stories about their teachers. When I was a kid in school, the only way we knew a teacher was married was if they were wearing a ring, and I couldn't tell you how a single one of my teachers voted- especially my teachers in civics and social studies. But I could damn sure read, write, spell, and do math.
Get back to the teachers speaking 70% of the time. And what's more, let 100% of that speaking be about reading, writing, arithmetic, etc, and not their own home life, political beliefs, and any other naughty word not directly related to teaching kids.
I found it appalling when my middle school aged kids would come home with all sorts of 'personal' stories about their teachers. When I was a kid in school, the only way we knew a teacher was married was if they were wearing a ring, and I couldn't tell you how a single one of my teachers voted- especially my teachers in civics and social studies. But I could damn sure read, write, spell, and do math.