Questions Anyone?

What do we need to know about asking questions to be an effective teacher? That is a great question. Honestly until I did a little bit of research on the subject I had absolutely no idea. Questions are one of the most important parts of teaching; but how do we ask a question in a way that it engages the students(encouraging critical thinkers)as well as testing their understanding of the subject. Here are a few ways to do just that:

1. Open-ended Questions:We need to make sure we are asking questions that don't simply require yes or no answers. "A closed-ended question structures the response for the student and it can be answered by one word, such as yes or no, or by a very brief phrase. An open-ended question, however, leaves the form of the answer up to the person who is responding. Thereby eliciting more thinking and yielding more information." An open-ended question requires the student to actually think, be creative, and use logic. This is a step in the right direction to train critical thinkers.
2. Plan Ahead: "When you write out a question, you can make it clearer … not just the wording, but clearer conceptually." A confusing question does no good. If anything, it diminishes the situation. By planning your questions ahead of time, you prevent the confusion of whether the student is having difficulty with understanding the question or the concept being taught. A teacher I had in high school used to say "Prior planning prevents poor performance."
3. Structure: Ask a question, then call on a student. According to The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom this was researched by Mary Budd Rowe. It has shown to be very effective in that it gives students time to think about an answer. They don't just automatically ignore the question because they did not get called on.
4."Think Time": This follows along with number 3. I watched a video titled Divergent Questioning in 8th Grade Math. He had one particular concept that stuck out to me called "Think time". After he asks a question he holds up his fist for an appropriate amount of time and then proceeds to open his fist. During the time in which his fist is closed the students must think about the question and develop an answer. As soon as he opens his fist, then and only then are students allowed to raise their hands. This makes thinking time available for students who don't know the answer right away. When a teacher asks a question and someone immediately raises their hand, most likely every other student in that classroom stops thinking about an answer. In their mind, they believe someone already knows the answer. Therefore, why should they even bother. It's intimidating! I like this concept because it creates a level playing field.
5. Explain Your Reasoning:Why? You should ask the student how they came to that conclusion. Whether it is right or wrong, ask why. By asking them to defend their answer this will convey their logic to everyone in the class. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in a class, especially math, when the teacher asks a question, someone answers it, the teacher says "Correct!" and I am left thinking "Wait! What? How did they get that!?" Just because one student understands something does not mean everyone else does. Even if the student answers wrong if you ask them to explain their answer it gives them the chance to realize the flaw and correct it. Getting a student to fight for their answer instills passion without them even knowing it.

"Does everyone understand?" is no longer an acceptable question for teachers. "Yes or No" is no longer an acceptable response from students. Why?, because now you are informed and know how to get the most out of the question you were already going to ask.