How experience plays a role in our questioning practices
I haven’t always had the confidence to ask questions like I do now that I’m older, more experienced, and feel more secure in my field as an educator. As a matter of fact, I usually have a hundred questions running around in my own head. Yet, even to this day, I tend to size up my audience first (particularly if it’s on a topic I don’t know much about like world relations or politics) before I bravely expose myself and ask a seemingly stupid question. Even then, once I’m able to muster up the chutzpa to inquire, I typically begin the statement with an apology like, “pardon my ignorance but…” or “I’m sorry if this was asked already, but…”.
It’s as if there is something about asking questions that feels wrong and elicits a sense of shame for not knowing. Where does that come from? Nature or nurture?
Either way, I find that sharing that experience is an easy way to build credibility with students in a classroom, for that’s typically what they’re feeling too. And it really matters not what their age is (child or adult learner), once that culture of “no question is silly” gets established (and its sincerely fostered), and the rule of apologizing only if one has done something wrong, I find that students begin to feel safe enough to ask questions.
I believe that the environment we create dictates not only who is participating in the questioning, but also the frequency and depth of questioning. Inquiry is innate for kids, until of course, they get enough reactions that quickly shut them down causing them to disengage and detach. I think that’s where many teachers are finding themselves right now.
So how do we get them back once they’ve tuned out and no longer trust the process?
There certainly isn’t one quick fix to this issue but I have found that there are 3 simple strategies that can help create a classroom culture that fosters critical thinking while also heightening student engagement and discussion.
1. Switch Up the Roles: Let them ask the questions.
Most classrooms run in this way: teacher asks, students answer. Consider instead putting the students in the driver’s seat by generating questions of their own, refining them and choosing how to use those questions. Move to a variation of the gradual release model: they (students) ask, we (students and teacher) discuss, they (students) share, and you (student) answers. Sounds a bit confusing but think of it like this:
Pose a question focus, such as a few lines from a text, an illustration, or a universal theme to explore and give students a set amount of time to collaboratively generate a list of questions around that focus. Then, together, share out those questions and wonderings allowing students to see all questions as valid and worthy of consideration. Maybe even have them sort the questions into categories (need to know now vs. research later, or open-ended vs. close-ended, etc.) Then, read the text associated with the focus and allow students to independently answer self-selected questions based on what they’ve learned from the text. The depth of learning that begins to erupt from students having an agency in the process is really magical.
The Right Question Institute, is a resource I use frequently in helping to get the students I am working with to think critically. I encourage you to explore their QFT process and consider how that might look with your students.
There is nothing worse than that Ferris Bueller moment in the class when all goes quiet and the monotone drone of the teacher takes over the room. When class conversation falls flat, it is typically the result of a question that’s uninteresting or has only one right answer.
2. Give them a voice
There is an unspoken fear, among many teachers, of losing control of the class when students are released to talk and collaborate, but quiet classrooms do not always equate to learning.
Learning can be messy but within the beautiful mess lies layers in thinking, questioning, and sharing ideas.
Consider providing students with some ground rules for group discussions and simple checklist-style tasks for what to do before, during and after an academic conversation. Students thrive with guidelines and expectations.
Equally important is to consider those students who may be hesitant to talk or don’t quite know what to say or how to begin. Simple sentence starters or discussion frames are a great way to help them get their ideas out of their heads and into the group discussion. This is particularly helpful for non-native speakers who may struggle with the language.
I invite you to download The Stellar Student’s Guide to Discussion bookmark from my online store. This easy to follow, FREE printable provides simple steps for students to follow along with sentence frames to get their juices flowing when they’re just not quite sure where to start.
3. Ditch your binary prompts
Gravitate to questions on topics that can have multiple viewpoints. More specifically, rely less on close-ended questions, those that have one right or wrong answer, or those that require a mountain of background knowledge for students to be able to participate. Open-ended questions that require students to think and justify their answer with well-thought reasoning of their own tend to be more approachable and interesting for students.
Asking questions is imperative to the learning process and when the students are the ones asking the questions the learning becomes exponential.
As teachers it is our job to give value to the lack of knowledge students have and honor their inquisitiveness and curiosity. It is the culture we create in the classroom, the experiences we provide, and the strategies we employ to generate questioning and discussion that will ultimately make it safe to ask that seemingly stupid question and not have to apologize for it.