Asking a question calls for more cognitive
demand than answering one.
P.
David Pearson
(quoted in Revisit,
Reflect, Retell, by Linda Hoyt)
Questions
can be extraordinary thinking tools. They
can be the spade that helps us dig for truth or the flashlight that helps us
explore the unknown.* Questions can help
us think more deeply about a challenging topic or situation and get our
thinking unstuck.
When
coaching, we tend to give a lot of thought to the questions we ask; however,
the questions teachers ask us my lead to new connections
and discoveries. Many teachers intuitively ask and answer their own questions
as they plan and reflect. We can support
this process by being sounding boards and discussion partners as teachers pose
their own questions. And we can support
this internal practice by asking teachers to come with their own questions to
our coaching conversations.
If
this task seems challenging for a teacher you are working with, you can offer
support to make this process easier.
Encourage the teacher to be on the lookout for assumptions that should
be questioned. For example, are we
assuming that all students will benefit from a particular lesson or
curriculum? We can encourage teachers to
turn reactions (their own or their students’) into questions. If a teacher feels frustrated about how many
times she had to redirect students’ attention, she might ask, “Why did I have
to redirect students’ attention so frequently?”
If students gasp or laugh when they see an image projected on the
SmartBoard, the teacher might ask, “Why did students react so strongly to that
image?” Such questions lead to fruitful
conversations.
Just
like with our students, sentence stems can be helpful in getting the thinking going. Here are a few question stems that you
might provide to the teachers you are working with to help them generate thoughtful
questions you can discuss together:
How
does _____ impact _____?
(e.g.,
How does my pacing impact student engagement?)
What’s
most important about _______?
(e.g.,
What’s most important about this strategy?)
Why
do _____ seem to ______?
(e.g.,
Why do students seem to get stuck on this step?)
When
_____, why do(es) _____?
(e.g.,
When I give directions for an assignment, why do many students still act
confused?)
What
might happen if ______?
(e.g.,
What might happen if I let students choose how they would demonstrate their
learning?)
Would
you have done the same thing when _____?
(e.g.,
Would you have done the same thing when Sylvia asked about how they were going
to be graded on the assignment?)
What
happens when _________?
(e.g.,
What happens when teachers flip the classroom?)
Where
did ________?
(e.g.,
Where did students’ understanding seem to break down?)
What
is _______?
(e.g.,
What is project-based learning?)
Who
was __________?
(e.g.,
Who was asking good questions?)
Praise
and celebrate great questions that teachers pose! Through the conversation that follows, you
will demonstrate that if one is willing to spend time on a question, to really
grapple with it, the question can lead to rewarding discoveries.
Asking
questions is a critical skill – in two senses of the word: It is critical (i.e., crucial) that teachers question not only their own practice but
also what they are being asked to do. Additionally,
asking questions is a critical skill (i.e., helping one to think critically)
that leads to improvement. When teachers
ask the questions, they are engaged and empowered. They are curious and want to find answers,
and they are taking responsibility for their own growth.
* http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/EdutopiaMakeStudentQuestioners.pdf
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
How
to help students ask good questions:
Tips on coaching a novice teacher:
Benefits of play:
“Last Impressions” to close a book
study:
What makes teamwork work? Apply these principles (discovered by Google)
at your school:
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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