(For new teachers especially.)

Some questions should be avoided. “Do you have any questions?” is one of those questions. Students often trot out their ‘no’ without thinking. Even students who have questions may say “no.” Asking questions shifts the spotlight; many students want to stay out of that light as much as possible. Students may be afraid of looking dumb, reasoning that if` no one else is asking questions, maybe everyone else understood the lesson. Questions also extend lessons and students may not want to be the voice that added five or ten more minutes to a particular topic.

“What questions do you have?” will be a more effective question for teasing out areas of confusion.

In general, teachers should avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. You might want to lead in with a yes or no question, but then a follow-up question should come on the heels of your first, easy question.

“Did Austria-Hungary have to enter the First World War? Why do you believe they had to enter the war? (Or not.)

Other options:

“Do you agree?”
“What do you think?” This question leads naturally into, “Why do you think that?”

Mary Budd Rowe suggested a questioning strategy that I like: Ask your question, such as “Why did Germany enter the First World War?” pause for a number of seconds, and then say a student’s name,: “Anne-Marie.” That brief pause causes all students to reflect on a possible answer since they do not know who you will name. This technique puts students on the spot and should be used mercifully, but all of your students ought to be focused on your lesson and questions, so don’t feel too guilty if poor Todd has no idea what you asked or what the answer might be. Todd will probably be readier next time.

Eduhonesty: If creating class participation sometimes feels like pulling teeth, one of the first places to start should be your questions. Are you asking questions that demand thinking? Are you asking enough of these questions? There’s nothing wrong with the occasional yes-no question to give a kid a quick success, but simple questions should usually be followed immediately by questions of a more demanding nature. If an administrative observer happens to be in the room, these questions should always have a follow-up critical thinking question.