OTR - Opportunities to Respond

WHY OTR?
It is well known that research has established a positive connection between effective instruction and high levels of
student engagement and as a result, higher student achievement. Increasing your students’ opportunities to respond to
your instruction (before assessment time) has many benefits.

● THE PROMPT: Teacher Provides – Prompts and Wait Time

● THE RESPONSE: Student Responds – Read, Write, Verbal/Non-Verbal Answer (Use wait time)
● THE FEEDBACK: Teacher Provides – Specific, positive feedback to student(s)

Oral Responding Written Responding Action Responding

● Choral response ● Response cards ● Touching/pointing

● Think-pair-share ● White boards ● Gestures
● Partner response ● Think-jot-share ● Acting out
● White-boards ● Pair and write ● Hand signals
● Response cards ● Facial expressions

Team Responding
Examples:
● Numbered heads together
● Jigsaw

Guideline:
● Teacher talk should be no more than 40-50% of instructional time
● New material – a minimum of 4-6 responses from students per minute with 80% accuracy
● Review of previously learned material – 8-12 responses per minute with 90% accuracy
● Peer coaching or video-taping can help to develop awareness

Tips:
● Use wait time of 3-5 seconds before requesting response, to increase participation
● Choose OTR strategies that best fit your teaching style, content, and classroom culture
● Set specific expectations before starting the activity.

Video Examples (each video is between two and seven minutes):

Gestures

Turn & Teach

Turn & Talk

Choral Response

Numbered Heads Together