Hi Marisela, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, questioning is an ideal way to get students to participate. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
If students do not have any questions, then I ask them questions to get them involved in the discussion.
Hi Kimberly, Thanks for your post to he forum. Yes, when students start relating what they are learning to personal experience, things can get long!Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Carl, You obviously are able to "read" your students! Thanks for that comment. Susan
Susan Polick
I like open ended questions as well. One problem I do run into is when my students continue one with personal experiences. We discuss lots of dental procedures in our class and It seems like each student always wants to explain what happened to them and ask questions from it. Some of them are great questions but the detail of their stories can take a lot of class time
I will occasionally approach a desk of a student and ask a question of the general class. Often the desk I am standing the closest too will offer an answer even if that person is a quiet one.
Just by moving around the classroom you can direct where the answer will be coming from.
If you enter into a student's personal space zone they feel you are talking to them even when questions are not directed at them.
Hi John, Thanks for your post to the forum. Definitely, helping students to see the relevancy of what they are learning to their future careers is a really excellent practice! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I definitely incorporate open-ended questions into the discussion. I also try to ask life questions such as "How does this apply to our field?". I try to put a positive spin on all feedback the student gives. To get students involved in the process, I utilize activities; e.g., I have each student draw a card from a deck and randomly select a criteria to match who will be called upon. High or low card goes first and so on.
Hi Denise, Thanks for your post to the forum. Those "why" questions really get the critical thinking skills going! Yes, even my adult students love the little "prizes"!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I walk up to a student and ask a questoin,which engages the rest of the class because they know they may be next.
I find that a combination of open-end and more narrower questions work well. Depenning on the topic, I may start out with a "what" questions and then ask "why". It gets the whole class involoved. I also like to give out little treats (candy, pens,etc.) to students who can answer questions completly.
Hi Jeanine, You have a really active classroom! Thanks for sharing some great activities! Susan
Susan Polick
I agree Amy, personalizing it for the students not only shows you care about them it allows them to get involved in the discussion with out the feelings of anxiety many associate with talking in class. I will also ask them about past experinces and try to equate that with our discussion
Situational questions...tell me about a time when, give me an example of...etc. I've also made questions into competitive type games and crossword puzzles that are interactive group activities. We also have races to see who can find answers first in the book.
Hi Betty, Facilitating discussions is a skill that can be difficult when we first begin teaching but with practice can really be a lot of fun! Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Cynthia, Yes, those open ended questions are so much more effective at getting discussions going. Susan
Susan Polick
I try to get students to express thoughts, opinions, etc. When a student reponds, I ask if others have something to add, do they agree or disagree, etc. I also try to relate certain things to personal experiences. I find students, even those who normally don't participate, can find something to engage in discussion with the class when it relates to a life experience.
The questioning techniques for me vary depending upon the material being presented to the class. If I am presenting material that is totally foreign to the students .. I try to talk about the material (lecture/ppt/etc) and then "review" the material by asking a "fill in the blank" type question. There are other times when I use the "what do you think" line of questioning when presenting a situation in which an ethical decision has to be made ... this can spring into a lively discussion based on what opinions the students hold and can lead to further participation in class.
Hi Bridget, Thanks for your post to the forum. Getting students to apply the concepts that they are learning to real-life situations is ideal! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I either use open ended questions, or i use critical thinking questions in which portrait a situation they will find inthe hospital environment to see how they would react since that will be their career soon. They like it and I get great feedback!
