Blog Post #6

What Do We Need to Know About Asking Questions to Be an Effective Teacher?

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher? According to “The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom” by Mr. Ben Johnson, some teachers may ask questions to check for understanding from their students. In most cases this is more beneficial for the teacher than it is for the student. Asking the question “Does everybody understand?” can result into a negative outcome. Sometimes students are unaware that they don’t understand something. If they are unaware that they do not understand, then how can they answer a question about what they do not know? An effective approach to asking questions is using questioning strategies by Mary Rowe. Mary Rowe proposed that teachers simply ask a question, pause for about three seconds, and then call on a student by name. This approach will automatically have all of the students thinking about an answer because a different student will be called on after each question. “Asking questions to improve learning” states that when you ask questions in a classroom you are modeling a process students can and should use themselves. Some general strategies to follow for asking questions is to keep in mind your course goals. The questions you ask should help them practice the skills being taught. Also, avoid asking your students “leading questions” . A leading question is phrased in such a way that it suggests its own answer, which results into students being discouraged from thinking on their own. Next, always aim for direct, clear, and specific questions. Ask a mix of different types of questions, such as: closed questions, open questions, and managerial questions. Closed questions are questions that have a limited number of correct answers. Open questions prompt multiple and sometimes conflicting answers. These questions are the most effective in encouraging discussion and active learning. Managerial questions ensure that students understand an assignment or have access to necessary materials. In the process of asking questions the teacher should always wait for a student to formulate a response, do not interrupt them, show that you’re interested, and develop a response to keep them thinking. “Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom” provided three actions that could improve questioning. The first action is preparing questions. If a teacher just randomly ask students what comes to their head first it could cause a lot of confusion amongst the classroom. Therefore prepare a set of questions that will be asked pertaining to what is being taught. The second action is playing with questions. Playing with questions means leaving them unanswered for a while and using strategies that encourages students to think about them. Last, the third action is preserving good questions. Good questions can be kept and used in a subsequent class and be revised so that they accomplish the good question goals even more effectively.