Students had their hands high in the air as Mrs. Muller ran through a presentation of images on the whiteboard. Students were to make an inference about these pictures by using their "schema" and "evidence" from the picture. This was large group discussion. In Bowman's (2018) article, "Making the Most of Visual Aids", she points out that teachers often believe that images can stand on their own without explanation, but really students need guidance in interpreting the meaning behind visuals.

Mrs. Muller used several visuals to engage her class in the practice of inferencing. She modeled how to make inferences with pictures by sharing her thinking aloud with the class. A picture of someone's sunburned feet were displayed. She asked students to think about the time of year, the weather, the setting of the picture. The students shared their inferences and Mrs. Muller asked students to justify their reasoning using strategic questions to get the students to share more about their background knowledge and evidence from the picture. "What clues from the picture made you think it was summer?... it looks like they're standing on a deck...and they're barefoot so it must be warm enough to not wear shoes." Using a think aloud is one of Bowman's (2018) recommendations for highly effective ways to engage students in discussion with visuals. 

After students were engaged in this higher-order thinking, Mrs. Muller broke them into small groups to practice these skills in small groups. On their own, students worked together to use their background knowledge and clues from pictures to infer what was happening in the picture and where it was taking place. "My favorite activities always involve group work.  I also love to use Talk Moves. This is a program I learned about to increase student fluency and recall in class discussions." The group dialogue was excellent. Students enjoyed analyzing the pictures, working with each other, and moving around the room. Click on the link below from Mrs. Muller to learn more about "Talk Moves".

With 19 years of experience, it's clear that Mrs. Muller knows how to engage her students in multiple ways. The use of visuals and the engaging group conversations were outstanding. She strives to make learning for her students accessible and meaningful and she finds joy in teaching her students through conversation, including outside of the classroom - "I love the stories the kids tell me.  I just like to listen to all the amazing things they have to share! My very favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning when students walk down the hall or into the classroom.  They are almost always smiling and so eager to be at school.  19 years later, the mornings never get old:)".