Blog Post #4

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher? First we should know what a question is. A question is a statement that hopes to gain or receive particular information. Therefore as future teachers we should always encourage questions from our students and we should always ask though provoking questions. An article I felt to be very enlightening was Three Ways to Ask Better Questions in the Classroom. Dr. Weimer introduces three actions that a person can take to improve their skills in regards to questions.

Step 1: Prepare Questions
In order to have questions that matter you cannot ask them in the spur of the moment. In order for a question to be a success, methodical thought needs to happen. Planning in advance also helps to make sure the questions are clear.
Step 2: Play with Questions
It is not always best for teachers to ask questions and immediately expect answer. Sometimes it is better to let the questions sink in and let them meditate on them.
Step 3: Preserve Good Questions
There are also times where questions are better held onto. It is the job of teachers to know when and where questions can best be used. A teacher should gauged their questions based on their students discussion and responses.