Hi Susana - Very well written post! Do you formulate questions in advance for your classes?
Susan
to ask a question that is not too broad; that it creates thought processing that is spinning away from the teacher's intended trajectory. It needs to have clarity and specificity. Questions need to build upon the prior,to keep the continuity of subject and clarity. If too broad,the likelihood of going afield is great, along with the student possibly being stymied.
So it could have the exact opposite of what is intended [and the student actually disengages; therefore doesn't establish a rapport or link with the teacher...which really can have a significantly diminuitive effect on the student teacher dynamic for learning.
I've noticed this often in classes. Students tend to ask questions that are unrelated to the topic. Students may ask questions that are related distantly to a topic.
For a student who asks questions unrelated to a topic, I would thank them for their question but also state that we can discuss that after class/on the break and then I would immediately redirect the class back to the topic at hand.
For a student who asks a question about a topic that is distantly related, I would ask how this subtopic is connected to the topci at hand and try to draw connections without getting off of the original topic.
Hi Alvin - Thanks for sharing some good techniques for facilitating questioning sessions.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Some methods of keeping students focused during questioning sessions are redirecting questions and retransmitting the intended question.
If questions start going "off point" then the instructor is responsible to redirect the question back to the intented subject using tact and a "slight of hand" :), so it is seamless to the students.
The instructor can restate the original question during conversation to get the question and response period back to the intended learning objective.
Great work - Olmarys! Susan
Susan, I have found this to be true also. I like to redirect such questions to the student to answer, telling him/her that he/she will learn more if he does that research. I often hand my in-seat English students a dictionary and ask them to look up a word that I might not be perfectly sure of (also asking them to share the pronunciation and etymology for the benefit of all of us).
I am able to use each of these techniques all the time, and find them quite effective when instructing.
I agree and by making a comment after each student speaks, be it to sum up what they said or ask another question from it, it helps in keeping the questions focused.
Before engaging in a guided discussion (socratic learning exercise) I make a list of lead off questions, anticipated responses and follow up questions. This enables me to anticpate the off the wall, or off the subject remark and redirect it back on topic.
I also find that using life experiences/real world examples can "get the ball rolling" for questioning sessions.
I really like this answer: ‘Planting the seed by giving an example of what may be closer to answering the question’. Exp: using the ‘board’ to draw out the ‘blue-print’ to the answer to the question. Works well for problem solving.
(Visual Learner/Written word learners)
Hi Sharon - That's a great way to get students to use their critical thinking skills! Susan
It is very easy for students to get off track. To keep them focused on what I am asking I will give them real life scenerios and ask what would you do? How would you handle this? What would you do if this then happened? They then can understand that there may not be a clear right answer and they need to be on their toes.
Hi Deborah - Thanks for your post to the forum. Keeping students on topic can be challenging!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
When dealing with questions it important to stay on topics, and not let the questions lead,
to a differernt topic.
Hi Dovie- Thanks for your post to the forum. What a creative approach to questioning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I love to summarize and rephrase the questions for the students. Sometimes, I will ask them to respond to a questions based on a famous person. What would Michael Jordan respond on the idea of success or What would Tiger Woods say if he were asked to describe faithfulness. This allows the student to take on a different look-and be willing to accept what others might say and respect it.
Hi Chris- How about a competition to see who can find the answer to the question? Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I havent had much of a problem keeping class on track during questions. If I notice we are going on a tangent I simply bring the subject back to our original disucssion.
