Practicing Effective Questioning

There are many ways to ask a question and some ways are better than others.
Thinking about the types of questions that could be asked or even preparing
specific questions prior to teaching a lesson will often lead to more effective
classroom discussions. It is important to think of thoughtful questions that
encourage students to think critically about the concept being learned. In order to
be successful at effectively questioning students, teachers must be aware of the
type of questions they are directing to the students and use effective questioning
practices.
Suggestions for Effective Questioning
Below is a list different types of questions. The questions are listed in order of their
recommended usage. The types of questions at or near the top should be used with
more frequency than those at or near the bottom.
1. Ask students to seek out the evidence:
o What kind of evidence did you find?
o What makes you think that...?
2. Ask students to explain:
o How would you explain this?
o What were some of the causes that led to...?
3. Ask questions that relate concepts, ideas, and opinions:
o How does that compare to...?
o What did other people discover or say about ...?
4. Ask questions that encourage your students to predict:
o What will you do next?
o What will happen if you...?
o What could you do to prevent that ?
5. Ask students questions that encourage them to describe:

o What did you do?

o What happened?
o What did you observe happening?

Maximize...

Minimize...

...asking questions that begin with

words like "What if," "Explain,"
"Analyze," "Create," and "Compare and
contrast," etc.

...asking questions that have a

"yes" or "no" response and
questions that require merely
direct recall of definitions etc.

...the amount of time you wait after you

pose a question, i.e. wait-time, in order
to allow students to process the question
in their minds.

...calling on students directly after

you pose a question and calling on
a student before you even ask the
question.

...asking students to elaborate on their

answers and asking students "why."

...telling a student their answer is

wrong and not asking them to
think of why it is wrong.

...opportunities for students to pose

questions amongst themselves.

...straight lecture without student

interaction.

...providing opportunities that challenge

students' original conceptual
understandings.

...providing opportunities that do

not encourage creative and critical
thinking.

...encouraging students to work through

their decision making process, even if it
bring frustration and makes them leave
their comfort zone of learning.

...giving students direct answers to

their questions without allowing
them to think through the decision
making process.

Learning is an active process. Teachers must work hard at encouraging students to

think on their own and construct their own explanations. This will allow students to
maximize their learning potential.

A List Of 50+ Teaching

Strategies To Jumpstart Your
Teacher Brain
10/10/2013, TeachThought Staff, 1 Comment

inShare29
6K+
Teaching strategies are among the most important ingredients for highly-effective learning
environments.
In addition to literacy strategies, approaches to assessment, and grouping strategies (among
many others), knowing the right teaching strategy for the right academic situation may not be
a matter of expertise or training, but memory: out of sight, out of mind, yes?
Which makes the following infographic from fortheteachers.org useful.
While it doesnt offer definitions and explanations for each strategy (its an infographic, not a
book), and many great strategies are missing (e.g., 3-2-1, exit slip, project-based learning,
accountable talk, ask a question, etc.) it does work well as a kind of reminder for whats
possible, even offering categories for each strategy, from progress monitoring (think-pairshare, KWL charts), to Note-Taking (graphic organizers).
There are 87 instructional strategies listed below, but several are repeated across categories,
so lets call it 50+ strategies.
Enjoy!

Monitoring Progress
1. Alternative assessments
2. Anchor activities

3. Grade as you go
4. Homework options
5. KWL charts
6. Learning contracts
7. Menus/Agendas
8. Mini-White Boards
9. Question Choices
10. Reflection/Response
11. Think-Pair-Share
12. Tiered Activities
13. Tiered Rubrics
14. Varied Products
Compare/Contrast Ideas
15. Cubing
16. Sticky Note Graph
17. Think-Tac-Toe
18. Think-Pair-Share
Form Groups
19. Appointment Clocks
20. Cubing
21. Curriculum Compacting
22. Four Sides
23. Jigsaw
24. Learning Contracts

25. Mini White Boards

26. Question Choices
27. Think-Tac-Toe
28. Varied Texts
Get Moving
29. Appointment Clocks
30. Four Sides
31. Heads Together
32. Jigsaw
33. Literature Circles
34. Reading Buddies
35. Sticky Note Graph
Work Together
36. Anchor Activity
37. Appointment Clocks
38. Learning Centers
39. Cubing
40. Four Sides
41. Grade as you Go
42. Heads Together
43. Jigsaw
44. Literature Circles
45. Menus/Agendas
46. Mini White Boards

47. Reading Buddies

48. Sticky Note Graph
49. Think-Tac-Toe
50. Tiered Activities
Adapt Content
51. Alternative Assessments
52. Learning Centers
53. Cubing
54. Curriculum Compacting
55. Grade as you Go
56. Homework Options
57. Jigsaw
58. Learning Contracts
59. Literature Circles
60. Menus/Agendas
61. Orbitals
62. Question Choices
63. Reading Buddies
64. Scaffolding
65. Think-Tac-Toe
66. Tiered Activities
67. Tiered Organizers
68. Varied Products
69. Varied Texts

Share Ideas & Opinions

70. Anchor Activities
71. Learning Centers
72. Cubing
73. Four Sides
74. Heads Together
75. KWL Charts
76. Literature Circles
77. Mini White Boards
78. Reflection/Response
79. Sticky Note Graph
80. Think-Tac-Toe
81. Think-Pair-Share
82. Tiered Rubrics
Take Notes
83. Anchor Activities
84. Jigsaw
85. KWL Charts
86. Think-Tac-Toe
87. Varied Organizers