Cold Calling

I used Cold Calling in my lesson on Friday. I wrote all the students' names on sheets of paper, I mixed them up, and then I drew one student's name at a time to give an answer to a question on a worksheet. We were working on semicolons, and each student gave the correct answer when called on, but each student still cringed when I held up his or her name. I don't know why, but they seem more eager to answer a question if I just select them than if I draw them.

My guess is that when I call on them randomly, they think that I am favoring them or that I believe that they are smart enough to answer the particular question. They just seem more eager to please me if I choose them. It's kind of a positive reinforcer to be selected by the teacher. Sometimes if I ask a student, "Do you want to go to the board?" they respond with, "Do you want me to go to the board?" When I tell them how much I would appreciate it, they never fail to go to the board. With Cold Calling, it's less personal, it's just going when it's your turn. It probably worked in some of the other classes, but my class didn't respond well to the method.