I think repeating the question if the question was not answered. Sometime I will reword the question it see if that will help them understand the question better.
With responses, I just say we just got off of the topic and ask another question.
Hi Cathy - Thanks for your post to the forum. It seems that allmost everyone with medical experience gets asked for free advice at times. You do handle it very delicately however - well-done! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
In teaching in the medical field, you have to be very careful with how you answer the student's personal questions about health issues. I try to redirect the student by rephrasing the question or simply by letting them know that the question is out of my scope of practice. I try to be very gentle in doing this because usually family situations are involved in the question.
Hi Joe- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are obviously handling these sort of questions perfectly! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I like the fact that you write your question on the board - it is important for Visual Learners to see the words - if they missed hearing it or actually understanding it when spoken...And, having them write questions about the question - is a good way for them to delve further into their own understanding.
Susan,
I have found that students often ask questions to test the instructor. In this case, I think it is necessary to show that you are a subject matter expert, by asking them to look in a certain reference to find the answer and then asking them to inform the class at a later date. This not only shows that you know what the answer is, but that you know where to find it.
Another metheod is to simply state to the student that the question they are asking is a little of topic, but you would be more than happy to discuss it with them after class.
Hi Heather - Thanks for your post to the forum. At my collge we call it "Parking the question" on the whiteboard. Just have to be sure to get to the question at some point! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Jodi- Thanks for your post to the forum. Pulling your students back to the topic by asking a relevant question id a great idea! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Interjecting my own question will bring the topic back on track. Sometimes I have to do this with one of my classes; they like to talk to each other, which is good, but is sometimes hard to manage and keep them on target.
Hi Eric - Thanks for your post to the forum. No matter how we get it to happen, if students are participating they are learning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
This is a problem in my veterinary medicine classes as well. I allow time for off-topic discussion during breaks or before/after class so they know they do have a chance to discuss the topics that are of interest to them.
You make a good point. If the instructor isn't really confident in the direction they want to lead the discussion, it makes it much easier for the students to steer away from the topic.
If a student asks a question that is off-topic but relevant, I make a list on the whiteboard of things to revisit later so we don't get too far off the subject at hand. The students tend to come up with even more questions as they see the topics on the board that we will discuss later in the period.
I also do not mind veering off the topic during discussion. Additional questions, comments, and life-experience stories allow the group to reinforce the original discussion topic multiple times and examine the topic from different angles.
The answers relayed through these discussions also allow me to gauge how effectively I have relayed the information.
Furthermore, I do not want to discourage people from participating in questioning sessions. By participating in discussion, people often feel a sense of importance and worth.
Hi Mary - Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree- allowing students to explore areas that might be related to but not really "on topic" can yield some great discussions! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Although it can be important to stay focused and on topic, I think some of the best discussions can occur by allowing the class to veer a bit off topic. If it gets too far off, I will usually make a comment about getting back to the matter at hand and ask a relevant question relating to the material.
Continue the diaglogue by asking more questions; having prepared questions in your bag of tricks to pull out when needed.
If it's a question that many other students are giving their response to, & the clock is ticking away, I usually tell them we're going to move on right now, but we'll revisit this discussion next class. In the meantime, their project for that night will be to organize their thoughts regarding this question, & I address it 1st thing next class, then move on.
It can be hard to keep students focused when they're asking questions, because one question can lead to another, and another, and all of a sudden, you're off track of the topic. It's the instructor's responsibility to recognize when the class is starting to veer from the right direction, and re-direct the students. Don't let yourself forget the main point!
Hi Leonardo- I also share my own experiences with my students. It does seem to make the concepts I am teaching more relevant and also makes it easier for my students to relate to me since they can see that I was once in the same place as they are now. Susan
