Many students are afraid to ask questions. They may have been humiliated or embarrassed in the past and are very shy about asking questions. I tell my students at the on-set of the class that I encourage questions. Most of the time other students have the same question and they are thankful that someone was brave enough to ask a question. When students do ask a question, I answer it in as positive a tone as I can and thank them for asking. When they complain that other instructors do not answer or answer in a negative manner, I encourage them to continue asking questions. However, I do point out to them that they must pay close attention to what is being discussed. If they are lost, I suggest that they ask for clarification.