Asking Questions!

Welcome!

To each and every one of you. I have created this post to serve as guide to questioning and how to ask good, deep, meaningful questions. The information presented below will help you understand your roll as a student and what it means to question in the classroom.

Finally Reached the Top!
Kelly, E. (Summer 2016). Eagle's Nest, Bancroft.

As a teacher I completely understand what it's like to be a student! In fact, I remember so many times when my teachers were ineffective with their instruction and this is what prompted me to deeply explore this topic. My clearest memory is teachers not allowing enough time for us to answer questions, however, when in that sticky situation, I suggest always remember that you can refer to the Question Matrix and keep in the back of your head WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW NEXT? This guide is one that I will reiterate below, but first, we must understand that questioning is, in fact, a literacy, and perhaps some of the reasons you may not ask questions in class. The one thought that I would like you to keep in mind throughout this discussion is that when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, this is when we grow! I included the photo above as an example, when I pushed myself to climb up the Eagle's Nest (Bancroft, ON), I pushed myself out of my comfort zones to create one of the most memorable moments of my life. The same applies in our classrooms, when we push ourselves we grow, so with that in mind, let's begin!

Questioning is a Literacy! 

Newbury, A. (July 5, 2012).

What is a literacy you may ask? Literacies are how we make we make sense of the world, we write to share our understandings, we read to gain knowledge, questioning is no different. We ask and answer questions to make sense of the world. When we think of someone who’s literate, we picture them being able to read AND write, if they can only perform one of those, then we see them as being illiterate. The same goes for questioning, to be question-literate, you must be able to understand AND construct questions. To formulate good questions, there are really only a few key things to know.

1. ALWAYS keep in the back of your head that understanding questions is very different from answering a question; by answering questions, you have to be able to form an idea and what type of information is being sought for that answer. The only way you can get good at that is through regular practice at developing question and analyzing questions. 
2. We must keep in mind that good questions – deep questions – are launching points for critical thinking, in fact questions push us to think critically, not answers!
3. We must become aware that we don’t know everything (of our ignorance) as this allows us to ask the types of questions that build our knowledge. Constantly remain humble and your knowledge will grow!

Have you ever wondered how to ask questions?

There are so many reasons that you may not ask questions in class, and you have to know that in order to grow as people, you must step out of your comfort zones (quote).

Shyness 
There are many reasons that you may be afraid to ask questions in class, even when you feel that burning feeling in the back of your throat to ask a question. You may be afraid to get out of your shell and ask a question in fear of being humiliated, or potentially asking the "wrong question" or a "silly questions" (which, by the way, there is no such thing!). You're afraid to be the first person to ask, or you'd prefer to ask when none of your classmates are listening. I completely understand this approach as I too was one of those students. However, a tried, simple but really great solution to this is keeping a list of questions that you'd like to ask, usually a top 10 list is a great place to start.
Relevance 

If you're not interested in the material you're being taught, that could be another reason that you're not asking questions. If you're really uninterested, depending on the relationship that you have with your teacher, you can respectfully ask to speak to them after class to suggest a few things that would help you, and potentially your classmates,  become more interested in the material being taught. After all, teachers are there to help you learn, not to torture you! We have to know what keeps your interest, and then you may be prompted to learn more and ask lots of questions...it's an amazing cycle!

Teacher and Students' Roles 
If you're experiencing this, you're definitely not alone. Many students believe they shouldn't ask questions and/or are used to that classroom atmosphere and environment. If you believe that your teacher should decide what you should know, expect your teacher to nominate your classmate who should ask questions, get the impression that when your teacher asks "Does anyone have any questions?" means that they're killing time, or even if you're worried about taking up too much of your classmates' time...this is also a conversation that is worth having after class.

Other Reasons 
Simply not enough time to process! When your teacher asks questions, it's important that you're given the opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas with your neighbour and as a whole class. If you feel like you're being rushed and cannot form good questions, this is again worth talking to your teacher about respectfully. We're people too, and sometimes it could take a simple reminder for us to give you more time!

Not in the habit of asking questions: If this is you (yes, you know who you are), just take a minute to think about why you might not be in the habit of asking good questions. Is it for any of the reasons mentioned above? Or maybe a different reason all together, whatever the case is, I would suggest sincerely trying to change this by starting off with small steps. By getting into the habit of asking good questions, you're able to truly learn about the material that is being taught and unlock so much potential in you to be your best possible you! If you don't know how to formulate good questions, don't worry, the section below has great suggestions.

Previous negative experiences from teachers: If this is you, let me say how sorry I am on behalf of your previous teacher(s), it is really unfortunate when these things happen and they really shouldn't. I too have had negative experiences and they shaped my experiences (sometimes for the worse) as a student. Just know that everyone, in one way or another, has had negative experiences: some of us may have had teachers who brush off their question, or say they'll get back to the question and never do, or even having other students look bored when they ask a question or worst getting laughed at. These can detrimentally affect the way you interact with your education and everyone at school. If this was you, once again know that you're not alone, and I encourage you to talk to a trusted adult about your experiences in order to help you concur your fears!

You are waiting for others as you think you dominate too much: If this is you, I do know what it's like to feel like you're the student who dominates, but don't worry, as teachers we value every single student in our classrooms. Your opinions are valuable, and even if you do feel like you dominate, your opinions, questions and ideas can be good launching points for your classmates, so while it is good to take a break from dominating every now-and-again, please don't lose your sense of questioning and discussion in your classroom!

So...How Do You Ask GOOD Questions?

As teachers, we ask you questions such as: What do you think? Why do you think that? How do you know this? Can you tell me more? What questions do you still have? It can be so easy to get caught up in answering ALL of these questions that you simply forget to ask your own! So below is a simple, condensed guide in how to ask those good questions!

The Question Matrix 

Monkey Business. (Dec. 14, 2012).

This should not look terribly unfamiliar to you as we have used this in class before. This chart is simply the best guide in how to form your questions in order to encourage higher order thinking. The column on the left asks questions in this descending order:

• What? Event 
• Where? Place
• When? Time
• Which? Choice 
• Who? Person 
• Why? Reason 
• How? Meaning 

The row on top of the chart asks questions in this order from left to right:

• Is? Present 
• Did? Past 
• Can? Possibility 
• Would/Could? Probability 
• Will? Prediction 
• Might? Imagination 

While you're getting comfortable with using this tool, I encourage you to begin to make your way from the top left of the chart down to the bottom right, as these are the questions that will allow you to explore content knowledge and understand deeper.

Also remember that good questions, even the best questions, don't replace careful listening. On my ThingLink I have a variety of videos that would be a great place to check out! There are a variety of videos that I have posted that will prove extremely useful when you're learning how to effectively question.

• Why We Want Out Students to Ask More Questions in the Classroom: You can access the video at the end of the article here.  
• 5 Ways to Listen Better: TED Talk by Julian Treasure. You can also access the video here. 
• How to Speak so that People Want to Listen: TED Talk by Julian Treasure. You can access the video here. 
• Ask Better Questions: TED Talk by Joe Burgum. You can access the video here. 
• How to Ask the Right Question: TED Talk by Hal Gregersen. You can access the video here.

What I want you to keep in mind is that our classrooms can easily become an environment where teachers dominate asking students questions. In fact, it's reported that 70 to 80% of questions being posed in Kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms are at memory (or recall) level, and of those only 5% are posed by students (Harrar-Weiss, 2013: Any Questions?)! So, what can you do? Most importantly, I want you to remember that there aren't any wrong or bad questions to ask, questions means that you're interested with the material! We can help classify your questions and identify which to investigate as a class. The bottom line is regardless of how you feel before you ask a question, remember that we want YOU to ask more questions! Keep in mind everything mentioned above and I guarantee you will take away more from your learning and learn more about yourself as a person!

About Me

Katic, K. (2016). Art Show. 

While you may know me as a passionate teacher who's goal is to reach every single student through engaging, relevant, and life-applicable material, I am also extremely passionate about yoga and weightlifting, as a healthy body goes hand-in-hand with a healthy mind and spirit. I love spending time outdoors in any way possible, and am constantly looking for ways to integrate my passion for fitness and the outdoors into my classroom. I was fortunate this past summer to spend every single day outside working and exploring the Great-Up-North, Kawartha Lakes region and beyond, and with this rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit, I am extremely excited to integrate this passion into my classroom.

Happy Learning! - Miss Katic

References

Alder, Rebecca. (Oct. 31, 2013). 5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students. Edutopia. Retrieved From 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-powerful-questions-teachers-ask-students-rebecca-alber

Case, Alex. (2012). Students who are reluctant to ask questions. UsingEnglish.com. Retrieved From

https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/students-who-are-reluctant-to-ask-questions.html

Harrar-Weiss, T. (July, 2013). Any Questions? Want to Stimulate Student Curiosity? Let them ask questions! Science and Children. 50(9): 36-41. 

Kelley-Mudie, S., and Phillips, J. (May/June, 2016). To Build a Better Question. Education Source 44(5): 14-19. 

The Government of Ontario. (July, 2011). Asking Effective Questions. Capacity Building Series, Special Edition 21. Retrieved From 

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_AskingEffectiveQuestions.pd

Images

Hayenga, Chad. (April 13, 2015). The Art of Asking Good Questions. Website. Retrieved From http://connectedfamilies.org/2015/04/13/the-art-of-asking-good-questions/

Inspire Others. (Aug. 4, 2016). How to Overcome Shyness. Image Retrieved From http://inspire-others.com/overcome-shyness/

Jarida. (2016). Why is my dog afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks? Image Retrieved From http://doghealthcentre.com/2015/11/26/why-is-my-dog-scared-of-thunderstorms-andor-fire-works/

Katic, K. (2016). Art Show©. Scarborough. 

Kelly, Ethan. (2016). Finally Reached the Top!© Eagle's Nest, Bancroft.

Monkey Business. (Dec. 14, 2012). Question Matrix. Website. Retrieved From https://monkseatonmonkey.wordpress.com/technique-of-the-week/question-matrix/

Newbury, Alan. (July 5, 2012). Asking Questions About Asking Questions. Website. Retrieved From 

http://appltdblog.co.uk/asking-questions-about-asking-questions/

Zulkifly, Farah. (June 12, 2012). Boredom is a killer! Image Retrieved From https://farahzulkifly.wordpress.com/tag/bored-animal/

Videos

Gupta, Priyanka. (April 2, 2016). Why We Want Our Students to Ask More Questions in the Classroom. Website. Retrieved From 

http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/2346-questioning-in-the-classroom

TED Talks. (July 29, 2011). 5 Ways to Listen Better: TED Talk by Julian Treasure. Video. Retrieved From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSohjlYQI2A

TED Talks. (June 27, 2014). How to Speak so that People Want to Listen: TED Talk by Julian Treasure. Video. Retrieved From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI

TEDx Talks. (Nov. 12, 2014). Ask Better Questions: TED Talk by Joe Burgum. Video. Retrieved From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6GtXjpeGl4

TEDx Youth. (June 11, 2013). How to Ask the Right Question: TED Talk by Hal Gregersen. Video. Retrieved From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APVaTRNQmJc