Blog post # 6

Hmm, what do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher?

        I watched the video Questioning Styles and Strategies first. I really like that the teacher ended the book Bridge To Terabithia with a "comprehension questions menu". This included four different types of questions Mastery, Interpersonal, Understanding, and Self-Expressive. Each question type required the students to think differently. No question was the same, they each reflected a different part of the book. All students really had to think about the answer, and write them down. After answers were recorded the students were able to talk to their neighbor to see if they had similar answers. The type of learning environment that was created really got the students to brainstorm.

        Asking Questions to Improve Learning taught me to be very clear when I ask questions. I will be teaching special needs, so it is crucial that I remember these tips. Instead of giving multiple steps, give one step. One simple question. Asking two or more questions is confusing, and students forget what they are suppose to answer. Be very specific in what you ask. Maybe instead of "what was your favorite part?" You could ask "In the book the Cat in the Hat, which part was your favorite". Simple things like this help questions make more sense to children.

        Three Better Ways to Ask Questions in the Classroom says to play with questions, prepare questions, and preserve good questions. All which are something I will now keep in mind. It is never good to try and "wing it". You should ALWAYS know what you want the students to know, therefor what you're going to ask. While preparing your questions, you should play with them. You will see what way of asking makes more sense, if there is a better way of wording the question, if theres a fun activity you can add on, and so on. After the session is over, save the questions that made a great impact on the students! There will be some questions that were too easy, or some that the students completely did not understand. That is why teaching is also a learning experience for the teacher!