Students reported that they would not speak or ask questions in some teachers' classes because the teacher did not respect their speech or questions . In these classrooms, students sit silently while the teacher speaks and students just listen. These teachers are missing a wonderful teaching tool: speaking. A classroom should be filled with appropriate speeches from everyone. Another teaching practice I use with students I call “Silent Sustained Writing” (SSW). During SSW, students are given a writing prompt and then asked to write in an explanatory style about the divergent question, situation, or event presented. The period of time required to write is usually timed. The writing prompt can be very general or specific in nature. Student writings are graded with a written