Fred Madsen CHEP

questioning students in groups

Using questions as a means of analyzing what the student had retained, works well. I have found that some students look forward to questioning as a good means of reviewing material from class. Unfortunately some students dislike being questioned in front of the class, even to the point of panic. I have found that having more than one student responsible to answer the question, relieves the tension created by singling out a student. Because our classroom is set up with tables (three students to a table) I can call on students by table. They can confer and come up with the answer collectively.
I encourage students to question each other as a review before testing. Students on a one on one session feel less pressure and will participate. I can listen in on these smaller groups to add questions, or guide the questioning.