Empowering students through skillful questioning techniques
Adapted from the text: We Belong, 50 Strategies to Create Community and Revolutionize Classroom Management by Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney.
One of the most important ways teachers can assess whether their student knows the content they have been teaching, understands the directions they have laid out, or can help to clarify confusion is by asking questions. Asking questions is arguably one of the most used teacher strategies, because, let's face it: questioning is really at the heart of learning. However, not all questions are created equal. There are rules to the questions we ask.
HOW, WHY, and WHAT
When striving to improve our teaching practices we must start by looking at the questions we ask. A simple strategy is to ask ourselves: Why are we asking the question? How are we asking the questions, and What kinds of questions are we asking?
WHY
There are two types of questions we can ask our students: closed questions with a yes or no answer or open ended questions. Closed questions are great for asking if students understand a concept or for multiple choice tests. Open ended questions lead to the magic of learning. Open ended questioning leads to individual thought and critical thinking.
Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney state that open-ended questions can
Stimulate thinking at all levels, including higher-order skills.
Spur students to reflect on ideas and information.
Advance student understanding and achievement.
Instigate student-teacher and student-student interaction.
Invite students to an active role of learning.
Ignite curiosity about a topic or concept.
Review and summarize previous material.
Solidify, deepen, and expand concepts introduced.
Reveal what (and how) students are learning, thinking, and understanding.
Help students and teachers assess progress.
Model ways for students to ask their own questions.
HOW
Teachers may be the masters of questioning. However, if you put a student on the spot or if the question intimidates them or exposes them in some way, the value of the question is lost. Students need practice at any skill as a learner, and how to answer questions in your class is a skill they must learn. When a student knows what to expect in your classroom, they can grow confident in their skills and their sense of belonging will improve.
Some strategies that you can try to help students become more confident learners in your class are
Take time and wait for students to reply. Not all students think at a break-neck speed. Provide some time to allow them to ponder your question and come up with a reasonable answer.
Show enthusiasm for your students’ responses. Ask follow up questions and name drop your students when you refer back to their answer. An example of this would be, “Do you remember when Kate stated this about________________? Let’s all remember that today.”
Don’t put a student on the spot or call them out in front of their peers. If you know a student is struggling to connect in class or does not understand the content, calling them out in front of their classroom of peers is not going to benefit that student. The opposite will occur. This will adversely affect their behavior and may lead to distrust among not just the student being asked the question, but the other students in your class who are watching and observing.
Randomly call on students throughout your day. I know it is super easy to fall into the trap of only ever calling on the same few kids who raise their hands each day, however, quiet, passive, and even bored students need time to practice the skill of answering questions as well. There are a ton of ways to keep track of who answered a question in your class. One strategy that we love to use is to provide our students with poker chips. When they have used all their chips, they are no longer allowed to speak. Also, each student needs to use a certain amount of chips each day, so even the quiet or passive students chip in from time to time.
Say the name of your student before you ask them the question. This allows your student to be prepared for the question, and shows them that you care about their answer.
Ask both concrete and abstract questions. Provide your students with solid content and then move from the concrete to the more abstract questions. The abstract questions are where the magic really happens in classrooms.
WHAT
Authors Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney say it best when they note that “ When you ask questions that invite students’ close examination and exploration, you are both promoting higher-order thinking skills and sending the message that you believe your students are capable of the cognitive processes for answering.” When we ask our students open-ended questions we are inviting them in to the discussion. The goal is a student-led discussion on the subject matter, not a teacher directed discussion. Students can begin to feel agency in your class when they understand that you value their opinions and what they have to say. When students feel heard and respected, they also feel like they belong. That sense of belonging can lead to less classroom behaviors and a better overall class morale.
If you want to learn more about the art of questioning and gain more insight into the strategies listed in We Belong: 50 Strategies to Create Community and Revolutionize Classroom Management, pick up the book here or here.
Happy Teaching!