ABSTRACT
Researchers (including teachers) who have examined the subtleties involved in successful teaching often speak of the dilemmas involved in trying to address several agendas simultaneously. During lessons, teachers must continuously negotiate tensions between the whole-class agenda (maintain a coherent flow through the intended lesson plan) and agendas for individual students (address their individual knowledge gaps and misconceptions, connect with their individual needs and interests). These issues arise routinely whenever the student who is called on to answer a question is unable to do so (either being unable to respond or responding incorrectly). Researchers who have written about these situations commonly recommend taking actions (rephrasing or simplifying the question, providing cues, scaffolding reasoning) designed to help the student generate an improved response and conclude the interaction on a positive note. However, they also recognize that time pressures or the need to maintain lesson coherence may cause the teacher just to give the answer and resume the flow (Brophy, 2002; Englert & Dunsmore, 2002; Kennedy, 2005; Okolo et al., 2002; Roth, 2002; Schaffer, 1996; Stone, 1998).
