Blog Post #4 Asking Questions: What questions do we ask? How do we ask?

To be an effective teacher, we need to help all students learn how to ask questions in the classroom. It not only helps them become better learners, but it also helps educators learn too. Ben Johnson was correct in The Right Way to Ask Questions In The Classroom, when he said that teachers "...need to come to grips with the fact that we really do not know everything, and there is no reason to assume that the students know nothing." 

It's important to let students say their (appropriate) opinions and to have a voice in the classroom. It helps with self-confidence and public speaking. The reason many children refrain from asking questions during class is because when the teacher opens up an opportunity for questions, it is in the last few minutes of the class period. The students know they are about to get out of class and don't want to stay any longer if they ask anything. The time for questions should be spread out through the class period, so the students have ample time to speak up if they don't understand something. 

Educators also have to be prepared to learn new things everyday. They are not only teachers, but students as well when it comes to education. It's important to watch and learn from a valuable lesson in the classroom. How can we learn to teach differently if the other methods aren't working or if there is a troubled child who doesn't want to do the work? Teachers need to adapt and learn new ways to help their students. We can only do that if there is communication in the classroom.