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Parking Lot: Parking Lot is a strategy where a teacher provides a space for students to anonymously write their ideas and ask questions about a given topic. The Parking Lot contains four sections for students to "park" their insights (i.e., questions, positives, changes, and "aha" moments).

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Jeffrey Ayer, WTWL Writer

Ever notice how a discussion you want to have with students can severely lag? Okay, think May or June, and I'm sure every teacher out there has struggled with this in his or her own classroom.

Enter the parking lot. For those of you not familiar (and some of you are thinking, "Oh, yeah, I remember that"), here's how it works.

First, select an area in the classroom where you could have students place sticky notes or tape scraps of paper. What works ideally is to use a large sheet of butcher paper, or if you have room cleared on your board, you can work from there. I usually clear white board space, and then create an actual parking lot layout.

To encourage students, I also intermittently place sticky notes in some of the blanks, and sometimes for fun, I'll include a few parking lot notes (like "Student Parking Here").

Once that's on the board, it's a discussion cue to my classes (I've used it for the better portion of a recent novel unit). Just direct them to take up a parking space over the course of the class period; based on how many spaces are filled by the end of the hour, I ensure them that I will leave aside enough time for us to discuss the "parked" questions before the bell rings.

Advantages? One, students don't have to write their names, so there's a level of anonymity (this seemingly defeats the "dumb question" phobia). Two, students have the class period to think about the novel. For many, questions don't just arise the instant the teacher asks, "Any questions on the novel at this point?" So over the course of the class period, no matter what activity may be taking place, students are more likely to have an "I don't understand" moment and then post that on the board. And third, the activity simply encourages critical thinking, because I don't answer the questions, I prompt students to answer them together.

This activity could also be applied to just about anything where you want students to develop questions (I-searches in the research process, thesis statement possibilities, questions they would pose to a historical figure, comments, opinions on a topic, and the list goes on).

Give it a shot. Give it some thought. And call it what you want (parking lot works, but imagine the number of names you could assign this approach to discussion - I just thought of "Landing Pad" as another, and I'm just hacking away at a keyboard).

Share your ideas by commenting; I would love to begin collaborating with you!

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Jeffrey Ayer, WTWL Writer Ever notice how a discussion you want to have with students can severely lag? Okay, think May or June, and I'm sure every teacher out there has struggled with this in his or her own classroom. Enter the parking lot.

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A "Parking Lot" is an easy way for students to contribute their voices to the classroom community. It also makes the internal dialogue of the classroom community transparent.

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Open, closed, yes, no, anything goes.  If it is a question that is most likely on the mind of at least one other person, it belongs on the parking lot. This is even true for questions like “Why do we have to have to learn about this?”  If they are wondering about it, it is worth asking and talking about.

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Giving recognition to individuals, small groups, and even the whole class goes a long way in growing and maintaining a positive classroom culture.  This is also a great place for students to note what they like about how the classroom is operating.

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One person’s realization about something can spark the realization about something in someone else.  “Light bulb” moments can also be great feedback for you.

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These are ideas for adjustments to procedures, rules, behavior, classroom set up, schedules, and any other aspect of the classroom community.  I guarantee that your students will come up with a simpler or more efficient way to do something.  Encourage honesty; this is all about them and their learning in the end.

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Plant parking lot notes
Refer students to the parking lot
Establish a parking lot task force
Schedule a regular parking lot check in
Use it as your closure tool
Validate each note
Use your discretion