Exit Slip: Sept 12 - Jo Boaler & Alfie Kohn

Jo Boaler's example of the two classroom styles was very useful, as it gives us a tangible example of what a more engaging and inquiry-based classroom might look like. From my own learning, I would definitely prefer the latter example where students are moving around and communicating.
But what I felt was missing was the portion of that class where they went over the concepts necessary to solve the problem. It's great to see the students offer the suggestion to break the triangle into similar triangles, but I would like to see the class where they learned about similar triangles.
Are the students expected to do readings in advance for each class, and then they just collaborate in the classroom? Or is there a dedicated time where the teacher gives them those fundamental building blocks? I would be interested in seeing the parts of the class lead by the teacher, as I am sure they are also engaging, and those would be strategies that I could apply to my own teaching.