To Cold Call, or Not to Cold Call, that is the Question

The universal experience of sinking into your chair and avoiding eye contact with someone in hopes that they don’t call on you to answer a question is something that teachers know all too well. We’ve all either been the cold-caller or the cold-callee at some point.

Recently, I’ve heard from multiple teachers across all year levels who said that they’ve had a hard time getting hands up, and so they’ve had to resort to cold calling.

Calling on students who haven’t chosen to contribute to discussions has become a widely discussed strategy in contemporary education. Many educators see it as a way of improving engagement and equity in the classroom, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to contribute. Others worry that it has the potential to create anxiety or discomfort. From what I hear, it seems that the impact of cold calling really depends on how it is used. Drawing on insights from educators and educational writers, this article explores the benefits and drawbacks of cold calling so that you can make an informed decision about whether it is something worth implementing in your classroom.

Why Cold Calling Has Become More Common

One of the strongest arguments in favour of cold calling is its potential to create a more inclusive classroom. UK-based Education Consultant Tom Sherrington describes it as the number one strategy for inclusive classrooms because traditional hands-up questioning often results in a small group of confident students dominating discussion while quieter or less confident learners remain passive. Cold calling, when used consistently and predictably communicates that every student’s thinking matters and that participation is a shared expectation rather than something optional.

Former teacher and assistant principal, Tam, more commonly known as Mrs Learning Bee, highlights that no hands up approaches can shift the classroom culture from performance to thinking. When students know that they may be called on at any time, they are more likely to stay mentally engaged throughout the lesson instead of switching off once they assume someone else will answer. This aligns with research on retrieval practice, where regular, low-stakes opportunities to recall information strengthen long-term learning. Writer Harry Fletcher-Wood notes that effective questioning for retrieval requires broad participation, not just responses from the students who are more confident.

The Benefits: Engagement, Equity, and Cognitive Activation

Cold calling offers multiple pedagogical advantages when implemented well, such as:

• Greater cognitive engagement because when students expect to be called on, they are more likely to follow the discussion closely and think through each question. This increases the number of active thinkers in the room, not just active speakers.
• More equitable participation. Cold calling disrupts patterns that students may have come to expect, like confident or high achieving students contributing all the time. Sherrington argues that this helps teachers gain an accurate idea of their students’ understanding, rather than relying on the same few volunteers who they know ‘get it’.
• Improved retrieval practice. Fletcher-Wood explains that retrieval is most effective when it involves all students, not just volunteers. Cold calling ensures that every learner has opportunities to practise recalling key knowledge. In countries like Italy, this is an extremely common practice as end of year exams are primarily verbal, not just written. Students are expected to participate in class discussions throughout the year in order to properly articulate their understanding in each class. Cold calling ensures that the common and formal practice of ‘interrogazione’, which translates to ‘interrogation’ or more politely, an oral exam, is successful. Even physical education classes require ‘interrogation’ to pass the class. Then, at the end of each year, their final grade is based on, you guessed it, an oral exam, with exceptions for subjects like maths, science, Italian, and languages other than Italian, which require both written and oral exams. While this exam can be daunting for some, this system has resulted in a society that thrives on discussion, debate, and intellectually stimulating conversation.
• Normalising mistakes. When used in a supportive environment, cold calling can help students see errors as part of learning. If everyone is expected to contribute, the pressure to be perfect decreases.

The Drawbacks

Despite the benefits, cold calling is not without controversy. Critics argue that it can heighten student anxiety, particularly for those who are shy, neurodivergent, or have a history of negative school experiences. In an article for Psychology Today, author and lecturer Alphie Kohn warns that cold calling can feel punitive if used as a form of control rather than a tool for learning. He suggests that some students may interpret it as a public test rather than as an invitation to think.

There are a number of other drawbacks that make educators hesitant to implement cold calling in their classrooms. It can be humiliating when you are called on and you don’t know the answer, and teachers would need to ensure that they handle moments like that with sensitivity.

If cold calling is implemented inconsistently, it can severely undermine its benefits. Fletcher-Wood identifies common mistakes in questioning for retrieval, such as asking overly complex questions or failing to provide adequate wait time as some of the main reasons for the practice to fail. Students can also see cold calling as unfair, particularly if it is not applied consistently or if certain students are called disproportionately. For some learners, the anticipation of being called on can create stress that interferes with learning, rather than supporting it. Mrs Learning Bee has some fantastic tips to combat this and ensure that students are prepared and supported during lessons where cold calling is used.

Cold calling is neither a magic solution nor a harmful practice by default. Its impact depends entirely on the teacher’s intent, consistency, and sensitivity to student needs. Used thoughtfully, it can indeed promote equity, engagement, and deeper thinking. Used poorly, it risks creating anxiety and undermining trust. Ultimately, the goal is not to force participation but to cultivate a classroom where every student’s voice and thinking matters.

Do you cold call during class? If so, do your students respond well? If not, why not? We’d love to hear your experiences!

References

1. 1. Mrs Learning Bee. No Hands Up: Questioning Techniques for the Classroom.
   2. Fletcher Wood, H. (2023). Questioning for Retrieval: Five Mistakes to Avoid. Improving Teaching.
   3. Sherrington, T. (2021). Cold Calling: The Number One Strategy for Inclusive Classrooms. Teacherhead.
   4. Kohn, A. (2016). Your Hand Is Not Raised? Too Bad, I Am Calling on You Anyway. Psychology Today.