Blog Post 4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?

A lot of times, teachers misuse the questioning process. They don't realize the potential knowledge that students can gain from the way questions are asked. According to Ben Johnson, one of the biggest mistakes that teachers make is when they ask, "Does everyone understand?" Some students may not realize that they don't understand. They may even understand part of what you are teaching, but they aren't quite sure at which point you lost them. Asking, "Does everyone understand?" is a waste of time. Everyone is either going to nod yes or say nothing at all. When classes are given questions that are open to everyone, the individual student is going to wait on someone else to answer. Johnson suggests asking a question, waiting three seconds, and then calling a name. This gives everyone time to formulate an answer. Make sure that you ask the questions in a random order. If the students know when they are going to be called on, they will zone out until it is there turn.

Asking Questions to Improve Learning tries to get the teacher to think about the purpose of the questions being asked. Do you want students to develop critical thinking skills or master a core concept? Asking a question in a certain way can change the outcome of the answer. If I ask a student to tell me their position on an argument, they only have to think about one side of the issue. However if I ask a question more like this," How do you think that this issue is viewed by those with whom you disagree?" The students will be forced to think of the subject from a different perspective. This could lead to changed views, better understanding of opposing sides, and even better comprehension of the issue at hand.


You should try to avoid leading questions. You want the students to be able to think of their own answers and not pull their answers from the question. The main point here being for students to THINK. If you ask yes-or-no questions, follow up with questions like: Why? How? Defend your answer. Explain why you answered the way you did. One of the best teachers I had was my 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Danis. She always gave us multiple choice tests, but we had to defend our answers. I hated doing it with a passion, but I learned so much from that class. It makes you connect the things you've learned in class. "Okay you know that C is the answer, but tell me how you know. What made you put that as your answer?" Knowing that something is true shows intelligence; however, knowing why something is true take it a step further.

Other things to keep in mind when asking students questions are to ask one question at a time. Let the students focus on gathering one bit of information so that they can fully analyze it. Ask different types of questions: closed, open, and managerial. You may want to check to see if students are paying attention with a closed-ended question. Open-ended questions are great for having students think or to start discussions. Managerial questions are to check for understanding. Give students time to think about their answer before moving on. The more time they are given to explore an idea, the better their answer will be. Don't interrupt them will they are giving an answer. You may disturb their thought process. I think this is the most important thing to take from this blog post for teachers. Include questioning time in your lesson plans. Ask questions every day and as often as possible. Ask them in ways that get students thinking. Make them want to go home and research things on their own. Keep them interested!