These are what I think are the important elements that make this work.

• Use the material that the students have to struggle to comprehend; otherwise it just becomes an exercise in repetition.
  
  
• You need a fairly small class. It works up to size 30; I haven't tried larger than that.
  
  
• Keep it friendly and informal. We sit in a circle. No one has to stand in the front of the room. I keep my comments as positive as I possibly can; students almost always know when they're not doing well without being told.
  
  
• Plan some "warm-up" exercises. I start the term by having the students introduce each other to the class, and start each day by asking students for real-life examples relating to any material in the chapter.
  
  
• Tell the students how to structure their answers as best you can. For example, I tell my students to describe an experiment by first describing the method, then the results, and then interpreting it.
  
  
• Work hard on selecting material, and tell the students in advance what material to prepare for each day. We cover only three to five topics each class, but I break each topic into smaller pieces so I call on many more students than that.
  
  
• If there's material you really want to cover that's not in the text, figure out when you'll do it. I have a few pet topics, and I connect them as best I can to something in a chapter. I end up talking quite a lot, but it doesn't come across as a lecture, but as clarification.
  
  
• There is one thing you don't need that might surprise you: especially talented or dedicated students (ours are typical, overly busy, stressed-out, urban and suburban commuter students).