Teaching Secrets: Asking the Right Questions

By Elizabeth Stein

 Ed Week

The science lesson was in full swing when I walked into my inclusion class. The students seemed attentive, following along in their books as my co-teacher read the science text aloud. Every so often, my co-teacher paused to ask a question: "What are renewable resources?" "What are two examples of non-renewable resources?" Students revisited relevant sections of the text and eagerly raised their hands to answer. Afterward, the students were directed to re-read the text, take notes, and respond to the questions at the end of the chapter.

The students seemed to be on task—but how much were they learning?

I walked around the room, checking in with individual students. I asked one student (let’s call him Jake) to explain a section of the text in his own words. He smiled, looked at me, and said, "Oh, I don’t know, I’m not reading this—I’m just looking for the answers to these questions." With a heavy heart, I read over his shoulder. Jake had produced all the correct answers (and perhaps sharpened his ability to locate facts in a text), but there was little evidence that he understood what the information meant or had built connections to his background knowledge.

I was not surprised—just completely frustrated. Sometimes the pressure of "teaching the content" can interfere with our ability to assess whether learning is actually occurring. My co-teacher was not alone in falling into this pattern. Research has demonstrated the value of effective questioning, but the stats are depressing: About 60 percent of all teachers’ questions fall under the category of "recall," the kinds of questions that require students to regurgitate facts.

So how can we break our patterns of asking recall-type questions? By weaving effective questioning techniques into our daily practice, we can create classroom environments that engage students in inquiry and problem-solving. I have some suggestions that have proven helpful for my co-teacher and me.

First, a few tips for setting the stage:

Cooperative learning is a must. Shake things up a bit sometimes. Break free from traditional row seating to allow students to collaborate. Setting aside time for socialization around your topic will increase active learning, and generally works best when students are free to engage in dialogue. Divide the class into two groups, small groups, or pairs.

Encourage students to ask their own meaningful questions. Prepare lessons that make your job as facilitator painless. Remember the idea is to have your students in charge of their learning. You want them to ask meaningful questions, seek relevant answers, and explore the thinking of peers with an open mind. You can guide their ability to investigate and vary their thinking around topics by providing a visual scaffold (such as Bloom’s taxonomy) that guides them to think critically. Plan to "listen-in" during each group’s discussion. Jump in as necessary—adding questions, giving compliments, or making comments that will help students dig deeper.

Observing can be part of learning. Think about how much you learn as you ...

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Elizabeth Stein is a National Board-certified special education teacher in the Smithtown Central School District on Long Island, N.Y., and a Teacher Leaders Network member. She also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in special education and literacy. After years of teaching in the elementary grades, she moved to middle school in 2010-11.