As an educator, there are always different techniques you can incorporate in your teaching style. This past week I began familiarizing myself with ways teachers can ask their students questions. At a glance this would seem like a simple topic, but there is actually more to it than one would think. Ben Johnson wrote an article for the website edutopia called "The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom" and went into detail on how teachers need to learn to ask questions in a way that will better their students. I found this article very helpful in the research of my topic. He broke down the types of students you would meet in a classroom and explained ways to best ask questions so that it would benefit all, not just a few select kids who like answering in class. The most effective approach to use when asking questions is to ask the question, pause three seconds, and then call on someone for the answer. This gives all the students in the class a chance to think about what answer they will have to give if they are the ones called on. This will minimize having the same students over and over again always answering while also putting a little more pressure on the other students to think as well.
As my research went on I found a common thread among many of my sources: open versus closed questions. Children learn at different rates and in many different ways. As a teacher I need to train myself to ask my students questions that will involve them formulating an explanatory response instead of just a yes or no. According to Dr. John V. Richardson Jr., an open question takes more than a word or short phrase to answer. It requires more information to get to the answer. A closed question is the opposite. It is a simple, short explanation that satisfies the question being asked. (Open versus Closed Ended Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2014.).
We want our students to be intrigued in class, absorbing as much information as possible. Asking questions that will help them stay tuned in during class discussions is only a small part that we as teachers need to do. All students need to be participating as well as gaining knowledge in the classroom.
"All students need to be participating as well as gaining knowledge in the classroom." Isn't participating (doing) required for learning (gaining knowledge)?
ReplyDeleteJessica,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you about forming questions that need to have an explanatory answer to them versus a "yes-or-no" answer. In doing so the students are more intrigued and as a teacher you will be able to tell if your students are understanding what they are being taught. It is a great method to pick random students after giving them time to think about the question. Your post was very informative! Keep up the good work!