ABSTRACT

Learning to lead mathematical discussions has been the focus of both inquiry and practice in mathematics education. Much research has focused on the roles that the teacher plays (see Walshaw & Anthony, 2008), the norms that are negotiated through discussions (e.g., Yackel & Cobb, 1996), and how students experience discussions (e.g., Black, 2004; Hintz, 2011). Researchers have also attempted to characterize the quality of discussion (Hufferd-Ackles, Fuson, & Sherin, 2004; Lampert, 2001; Sherin, 2002; Wood, William, & McNeal, 2004). This chapter follows the example set by O’Connor and Michaels (1993) when they introduced and explicated the purpose of a particular discourse strategy they called revoicing. Using an intentionally selected case, we describe a strategy we call orienting to make visible one aspect of the work a teacher does in getting students to be in dialogue with one another during a discussion.