As a teacher, have you had the experience of asking a question and receiving stony silence as a response? The process of getting a response can be a frustrating one but it should not be that way. The numerous researches published have shown that asking and answering questions is greatly beneficial to learning. To help you with the process, we have compiled 4 helpful tips for you to implement in your classrooms today.
- Student-led asking
Rather than being the one to ask questions, encourage student-led discussions. By doing so, students feel more empowered and confident to seek clarification with their peers. Listening to their replies could allow you to glean a look into the general level of their understanding towards the topic.
- Hypothetical scenarios
Help students to frame the concept by providing a scenario to work with. For example, convert a lesson about speed to a real-life problem about being late. This places them in a familiar situation and allows for increased engagement to ask questions.
- Celebrate questions
Create an environment of curiosity by celebrating questions. You could make a big deal out of good questions by having the student repeat the question to the rest of the class. Engage the whole class in discussion using the question as a springboard. Giving praise for good questions would raise the self-esteem of students to ask further.
- Make it anonymous
For shy students, the process of raising their hands to ask questions could be daunting. To ensure that everybody has a chance to ask, provide an avenue for anonymous questions to be posted. This can be in the form of an online forum or a board of Post-it notes in the classroom. Pressure to be perfect in front of their classmates would be reduced and hidden doubts can emerge.
