Blog Post #6

Students learn and gain understanding of the material being taught if teachers ask questions. It not only benefits the students, but also allows the teacher to see if the students are learning the material efficiently while they are teaching the lesson.

There are certain aspects teachers should think about when asking a question to students. It is important for teachers to ask questions during the lesson and not wait until the end of class. Students tend to tune the teacher out when it is getting close to dismissal. Teachers do not need to ask more than one question at once. The students need to be thinking and elaborating on one question at a time, to get the full learning benefit from the question. Teachers need to follow a "yes or no" question with another question. This will allow the students to provide examples or further discuss the "yes or no" answer from another student.

Teachers need to avoid asking “leading questions” and ask “open” questions to students. A leading question is a question in which can only be answered with one response. It does not allow the students to think and brainstorm on the answer. There are many reasons why teachers should ask “open” questions. These types of questions can teach a student to clarify a vague comment, prompt students to explore attitudes, values, or feelings, see a concept from another perspective, and predict possible outcomes.

When teachers plan lessons for a class session, they need to include notes for when they need to pause and ask a question to the class. This will make the class more interactive, and the students will learn while listening to the other students answers the questions. It is a great way for teachers to see if their students understand or misunderstand the material that is being taught throughout the lesson.