Blog Post #4

My mother is a teacher and she loves to ask questions that "start your engine". She asks very open-ended questions that let her students go in any direction they can imagine. Sometimes she might have to steer them back to reality but very often the students come up with some pretty great answers and ideas. When they get on a path to somewhere, she will ask questions that help them to dig deeper on that topic. It helps the students to come up with their own ideas instead of being told what to think. She also loves for her students to ask her questions. She regularly states, "There is no stupid question!" I think this helps to take the pressure off of the student. This way they do not have to bottle up questions that he or she may think are "dumb".

Wow. The Right Way To Ask Questions really opened my eyes as to how important our questions are as educators. I had never thought about how maybe students don't answer because they want to keep on going instead of backing up with the lesson. This article is very true. The teacher asks the question to see if the children are understanding. If they don't, the teacher will go back over the lesson to ensure they have grasped it. What if it is a boring topic? What if they are tired of hearing the teacher ramble on about photosynthesis? Easy. They can just nod their head and the teacher can move on. It is most beneficial to the students to ask an open-ended question, give a few seconds and then call on to answer.

It is so important to ask the right questions. And to give the opportunity for the kids to ask questions. Encourage them to ask questions. Tell them there is no stupid question. And since there is no way for teachers to know everything, let them know that you can find out. I love the motto in EDM310, "I don't know, let's find out!" It is a great motto to take on with us long after this class ends.

I also loved Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom. First and foremost, as an educator we should Prepare Questions. It is fine to ask a question if a great one pops in your head. But have questions ready to ask. Know what time you want to ask them. And always ask yourself, "Is it the question that needs to be asked? When is the best time to ask it?" If it is a question that does not need to be asked, just don't. Make sure the questions are clear to the students. If a question is not clear, it will not help, it will hinder the student. Second, we should Play with Questions. Show a question at the beginning of class, but do not answer it until the end. This gives the student time to think about it without hearing just one "right answer". Maryellen suggests that you might try and tell the student to put it in their notes and think about it. You could ask for their answers the next day and see what they have come up with when they had plenty of time to think. Third, you should Save the Good Ones. If a question really engages the students, save it! Time and time again, it will engage your class. Keep notes of questions that really sent their minds soaring.