Place 1 inch of water in a large stock pot and place a steaming basket into the pot. Cover and place over high heat.
When the water comes to a boil, fill the pot with oysters and cover. Set the timer for 4 minutes. Once the timer goes off, immediately take the lid off and dump the oysters into a serving bowl.
Give each person a clean tea towel and oyster shucking knife. (Do not try to use regular knives. You could potentially hurt yourself and/or ruin your knives.) Place the oyster in one hand on the folded towel. Look for the natural hinge in the oyster. Insert the tip of the oyster shucking knife into the hinge and firmly dig and twist.
Once the oyster is open, wipe the edge of the knife on the towel. Then run the edge of the knife under the oyster to release it from the shell.