Academic Discourse: What Strong Observation Evidence Can Look Like

Prioritize rigorous content, student ownership, questioning, checks for understanding, and academic discourse as visible evidence of learning. For Academic Discourse, the strongest preparation question is not “Did I mention it?” but “What student evidence will make this part of Insight CORE observable?”

A classroom micro-scenario

Pairs compare claims, select the stronger evidence, then join another pair and must reconcile a disagreement before reporting a synthesis.

Teacher moves that fit this component

• give students a reason to respond to peers
• require evidence or examples
• use participation structures that distribute voice

Evidence students can produce

• students reference peer ideas
• students ask follow-up questions
• talk changes or sharpens thinking

What an administrator may be able to see

• students responding to one another instead of routing every idea through the teacher
• a prompt that requires evidence, reasoning, comparison, or critique
• participation structures that make thinking visible beyond the quickest volunteers

What students might be doing

• explain a claim and cite evidence
• build on or challenge a peer idea
• revise an explanation after hearing another perspective

What students might be saying

• “My evidence is different because…”
• “I agree with the reasoning, but I would change…”
• “Can you explain why that evidence supports your claim?”

Artifacts that can make evidence concrete

• discussion tracker or participation map
• annotated source, problem, or text evidence
• student-generated questions or synthesis notes

Weak evidence vs. stronger evidence

Common missed opportunities

• Academic Discourse is named in the lesson plan but no student behavior demonstrates it.
• The teacher can explain the intent, but the observer would have to infer too much because the evidence remains hidden.
• Only one student produces the evidence, so it is difficult to judge how broadly learning is occurring.
• The teacher collects information but the next instructional move does not respond to it.

Planning questions for Academic Discourse

1. At what exact moment should Academic Discourse become visible?
2. What should students be doing differently because this component is strong?
3. What student language would tell me the intended thinking is actually happening?
4. What artifact, response, or behavior can provide evidence beyond my own explanation?
5. What will I change if the evidence is weaker or stronger than expected?

Related Insight CORE components