Cold Calling with Warmth: The Art of Intentional, Inclusive Participation

In every classroom, there’s a balancing act between giving all students a voice and maintaining the flow of a lesson. One powerful strategy for ensuring widespread engagement is cold calling, where the teacher selects students to respond without relying on volunteers. But despite its effectiveness, the term can feel, well, cold. That’s why it’s crucial to explore how cold calling can be used with warmth, intention, and careful attention to student needs.

What is Cold Calling?
Cold calling is a technique where teachers select students to answer questions or contribute to discussions without asking for volunteers. That’s right: it removes the need for students to raise their hands. This breaks the pattern of relying on the same few students and makes participation a shared responsibility.

The key purpose?

To keep all students thinking, listening, and ready to contribute because any one of them might be called on.
But if not used thoughtfully, cold calling can cause anxiety or disengagement. That’s why implementation matters just as much as the idea itself.

Cold Calling with Warmth
Here’s how to take the “cold” out of cold calling:
1. Teach first
One of the most effective ways to take the “cold” out of cold calling is to teach first. When we ensure that students have had clear instruction, time to process, and maybe even a chance to rehearse their thinking with a partner, cold calling no longer feels like being put on the spot; it feels like being invited to contribute. We’re not asking students to guess or take a wild stab in the dark; we’re asking them to share something they’ve already started building understanding around. When we teach first, cold calling becomes a natural extension of learning, not a pop quiz in disguise.
2. Normalise Participation
From the first week of school, I let students know that I’ll be inviting and expecting everyone to contribute: not to catch them out, but because I care about them and their thinking matters. I am always careful to emphasise that making mistakes is a part of learning.
When a student says, “But I didn’t have my hand up!” I gently respond, “That’s okay, I still care about what you think.” It’s a small moment, but a powerful reminder that their voice matters, even when they weren’t expecting to share.
3. Use Warm Language and Tone
Cold calling is not about catching students off guard or making them feel exposed—it’s about showing that their thinking matters. I avoid abrupt or evaluative language and instead frame my questions with curiosity and encouragement:
“I’d love to hear your take on this, Bec.”
“Hmm, Jackson, what do you reckon?”
“Let’s go to Tahlia—how are you thinking about this one?”
The tone we use communicates intent. When we ask with warmth and genuine interest, students are more likely to feel safe, valued, and willing to take risks. The way we ask matters just as much as who we ask.

Seem Random, Be Intentional
It’s tempting to make cold calling appear random by using popsicle sticks, name wheels, or digital randomisers. This can be useful early on, but the most effective teachers use strategic selection disguised as spontaneity.
Why? Because not all questions are created equal.

• Some require a confident modelled response → so I pick a student I know is ready.
• Others need a misconception surfaced → I pick a student who might be grappling with it.
• Some call for equity of voice → I bring in quieter students when I know they’ve got a response we can all learn from.

While tools like popsicle sticks or random name generators can appear to make cold calling fair, they often turn the process into a kind of performance; a ritual that looks equitable but actually removes intentionality. Relying on randomisers robs us of the chance to carefully select whose thinking we want to highlight and why. Sometimes we need a strong model, a common misconception, or a confidence boost for a quiet student—and a popsicle stick can’t make that call. Plus, if students see their name pulled and not returned to the jar, they quickly realise they’re “off the hook”, which undermines the whole point: keeping everyone thinking, all the time.
Intentional cold calling means using our knowledge of our students to select in ways that support learning, inclusion, and confidence.

Keep Everyone Thinking
The real power of cold calling is that it raises the thinking stakes for everyone. Our students can’t check out because they might be asked to contribute at any time. To maximise this, I:

• Give wait time after posing a question to the whole class. Then I choose which student I want to hear from.
• Use “No opt out” kindly. If a student struggles, it’s a reflection on my teaching. I help them, and elicit the bits they do understand. I always come back later to give them another chance.
• Allow my students the chance to have-a-go first, either using mini whiteboards or think-pair-share. This gives everyone a chance to rehearse their thinking before I cold call. It also gives me the opportunity to identify who might give a response that will help the whole class’s learning.

 Final Thoughts: Warm Routines Build Brave Learners
Cold calling is not about putting kids on the spot. It’s about building a culture where everyone’s thinking is valued, where participation is the norm, and where learning is a team effort.
When used with warmth, care, and intention, cold calling becomes a practice of inclusion, not pressure.
 
My #1 Tip for Teachers:
Start by cold calling during low-stakes questions and combine it with routines like whiteboards or think-pair-shares. Over time, it’ll feel natural, expected, and safe.
 
Want to explore more ways to check for understanding or build equitable participation? Reach out! I love helping teachers build classrooms where everyone’s voice is part of the learning. 

Image created with AI