As I reflect upon my own teaching, I find myself asking questions that I allow one child to answer, and then move onto the next. Often times, usually during a group discussion, I ask one thoughtful question that I am prepared for the entire class to answer. In these two scenarios I think to myself, am I really preparing for the children's participation?
As I continue my reflection, I notice that the one child who answers my questions are often times the same children. After reading this text, I think about, am I allowing children the time to think? Am I preparing them with the right tools and information for their minds to expand? Have I prepared enough prerequisites for the children to understand the question I am asking them?
All of these answers in the text are rich and full of meaning. I notice that even the shortest answers are the greatest. "You think better" "They're in your head" "It's easy you concentrate more."
Children know so much and as teachers, YES!! it is our duty to bring out these ideas.
So, how do we plan this? How do we plan questions? How do we prepare information? I thought that questions just come out instinctively as we listen to what children are saying? What if no one answers, where do we go from there? How do we know if questions are too hard, to hard to comprehend? How do we plan for questions to be thrown back at us?
"A child may ask us questions in areas where our knowledge is scant, and we become confused by our own uncertainty, in relation to both the topic and how to handle our confusion in front of the child."
As the text sums up, yes we are asking questions, to investigate the child, to bring about ideas, to learn as the children learn, to document the child's knowledge, and so on. But what's greater is when the children come back and ask us the question. When we have those blank stare moments of, "What should I say," or "How do i explain this concept?" As the text describes, children are not only asking us to find a answer as well, but they are watching us, they are watching how we gather information and how we delegate the answer. They are listening to the examples we present, whether it be from a book or drawn upon our own experiences.
Children are brilliant. They have the answers to the questions we pose. And these questions are what brings out the hidden knowledge children are harboring within their vast minds.
By: Jadelynn Davis
Project Zero & Reggio Children (2001). Making learning visible. Reggio Emilia, Italy:
Reggio Children.
Hi Jadelynn,
ReplyDeleteThe power of questions is quite interesting! And very powerful! How do teachers move from questions that are meant more for evaluation to those based on thinking deeply about something? Does a question always have to have an answer? Or everyone's participation? Is there a way in which questions become about a teacher's control and less about the intention of the child? How can a teacher's intention (and the teacher being well aware of the intention) drive questions as a means to further thinking for both child and teacher? How do question function as the way to continue the game of catch between child and teacher?
Cheers,
Jeanne
It is so important to for us as educators to be versed in open ended questions, questions that cause children to think and respond whether it be with a question to further investigate a topic or whether it is a question that helps scaffold children in the direction that you designed the activity to take them.How important is it for us to ask questions that change children s thinking? But can questions that challenge children have a negative affect on the children? Can not knowing the answers to children's questions be turned into a teachable moment? Can it be used as a opportunity to show children the process of problem solving?
ReplyDeleteIts good that you reflect upon your experiences with questions and the time you allow the children to respond before moving on. As I read your post I began thinking about what I do too. The quote you included, I would imagine, speaks to just about every teacher out there (as well as parents and adults who have children in their lives who ask them questions). I’m not gonna say that I know the answers to all the questions my kids ask because that would be a lie. When questions come up and I am unsure of the answer, I tell them that I don’t know. And sometimes that particular questions will stem off into a different conversation on how we can find the answer. But if it’s a simple question and answer then sometimes we will use my phone or our classroom iPad and look the answer up, which then turns that instant into a teachable moment that we took advantage of. How do you and your co-workers go about answering those surprise questions you cannot answer off the top of your head?
ReplyDeleteI agree, children are brilliant!! When they are given the chance to think on their own and to give thoughtful responses, I am always amazed by what they say! They honestly blow me away sometimes! I like the idea of group learning, especially in smaller groups, rather than the WHOLE class. This gives shy or quiet children a chance to think introspectively and then respond thoughtfully! It is very important to keep in mind the many personality types that could be in just one classroom. Sometimes we make judgments about a child and assume that they don't know the answer, or are not as smart as another child, but we all think and learn in a variety of ways. Some of us tend to think out loud....we talk out our ideas with those around us and we are very vocal about our thoughts and ideas. Others of us think in our heads....we might appear to not be listening, we may look zoned out, or seem slow to give any sort of response. This is true of children as well as adults. One way is not better than the other, they are just different! It is important to think about the different types of thinkers and learners that may be in our care, so that we can change things about the curriculum or lesson that can better fit each child!
ReplyDeleteI think it is extremely important to have an open classroom so that children feel comfortable to ask whatever questions they come up with. How do we show children that it is ok not to have the answer everytime? How can we help them learn the process to finding an answer to a question we dont know. I have always made sure to have informational books in my classroom, like encyclopedias, etc. It is helpful to have a resource that we can go to with the children to find the answers to their questions. And now with many classrooms including computers or technology of some sort, we have a wealth of knowledge in the internet and teaching children how to research is just another part of learning about our world.
ReplyDeleteHey Jade,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog I reflected on my teaching and how I ask questions as a teacher. Do I ask good open ended questions or do I not make sense to my 3 year olds, Just like you I have one child who is very curious she always asks me what everything is and the why question. Why this? Why that? Why does it do that? Why does it eat leaves? Why does it turn into a butterfly? Some of the questions she asks me I find my self giving her a blank stare but I suddenly open up a book or find things to look at on the computer to show her pictures and read research to help answer those questions.