As we continue to strengthen our middle school focus on communication skills, I have found myself zeroed in on the first rubric category - "Engaging in Conversation and Discussions." This is a logical focus considering conversations and discussions should be a normal part of our daily classroom routines. I've really started listening to the students as I visit lessons.
Although the article, "How To Ask the Right Questions", speaks specifically to the science classroom, the skill of questioning is relevant to all teachers. The article particularly focused my thoughts on the first two areas of the "Engaging in Conversations and Discussions" portion of the communication rubric. The student: a) asks questions that force others to defend their ideas or conclusions b) asks higher level questions about the topic for discussion. These questions lead to a greater understanding. For me, the article raised the question - Do we, as teachers, model the types of questions we want our students to ask? In order to get our students asking questions of each other, they need to know what those questions sound like. The article states that the "wording of questions is important" (p.4) in order to stimulate thinking. We have to plan in advance and write out the questions we want to ask! The article provides an explanation of different question types teachers typically ask: managerial, rhetorical, closed, open. How often do we think about the types of questions we pose to students? This is a great reflection, if a teacher wants to improve the quality of questions they ask and model for students. During planning, consider what you want the student conversations to sound like. How will your questions stimulate the thinking and discussion you want? You can deliberately plan open-ended questions to encourage more meaningful discussion and peer to peer communication. Engaging in conversation to answer an open-ended question may be uncomfortable for students at first. The article states that "students have become comfortable with trying to come up with right answers" (p.5). They are often afraid of being wrong or asking questions! This is exactly why we have to create an environment where students are comfortable practicing the skills and encouraged to take risks. Since I have started to focus on truly listening to our students' conversations I notice that they rarely challenge or question each others' ideas. Most of the time they are agreeable. Why is this? Are they afraid to take the risk of sharing their ideas? Do they trust the other students more than they trust their own thoughts? Is there always a right answer, so conversation in unnecessary? Perhaps, our questions or tasks don't truly require in-depth discussion. There is not one correct answer here. Again, just some questions to consider as you listen to your students and plan intentionally. One last point I found valuable in this article and just have to comment on - the VALUE OF SILENCE (p. 6). I often say teachers talk TOO much! Ha. I'm guilty. When reflecting on questioning, ask yourself - Who is asking the questions in your classroom? Who is answering the questions? How many times do you repeat or reword a question while students are trying to THINK about an answer? If you're not sure - call in the coach! I can collect data to support your reflection. The article supports that silence works! A few highlights of increased wait time include:
In summary, if one of our goals for communication skills is to promote student questioning, we have to model asking good questions. We also have to create an environment which encourages thinking, questioning, and peer to peer conversation. As a coach, I am happy to gather data to support your reflection. Please reach out! Extra eyes and ears in classroom are always beneficial. Please share your thoughts in the comments! What did you take away from the article? What connections did you find to our focus on communication? How did the article challenge your thinking or practice? Reference: "How to Ask the Right Questions." Patricia E. Blosser. National Science Teachers Association. 2000.
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Crystal GrossmanI love... reading, learning, instructional planning, brainstorming, being creative, working with young adults, collaborating with teachers, teaching. I love my job. Archives
February 2018
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