Reflection #6: Asking Questions

It appears to me that asking questions is a big element of teaching. This article emphasized the importance of asking questions in the classroom and the reasons why teachers do so. Teachers ask questions to check understanding. If the class is answering your questions correctly and with considerable thought this can be evidence of their knowledge of the content. The key, however, is to ask the right type of questions. The article mentioned something fascinating and something that I find to be true. Early on, students begin to grasp how they are viewed by those around them, whether it be "smart", "funny", or "indifferent" and they will act accordingly. When a teacher asks a question, some students may simply sit back, stop thinking, and let the "smart kids" answer. Similarly, some students stop thinking about the question as soon as a student is called on. One strategy that the article suggests is to ask a question and pause for 3 seconds to allow students to process the question and come up with an answer before calling on a specific student. This strategy can also be combined with a random popsicle stick system so that students are somewhat randomly selected to give an answer. Another article that talks about the "wait time" after teacher questions or student responses is Using "Think-Time" and "Wait-Time" Skillfully in the Classroom by Robert J. Stahl.



Credit: The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom by Ben Johnson