Re: Questions in the Classroom

[Hugh Haskell <hhaskell@MINDSPRING.COM>]

Carl Gaither wrote:

> Hello to the Group--
>
> I came across the following quotation by J. Lemke in "Talking Science:
> Language, Learning and Values" on p. 55.
>
> "True dialogue occurs when teachers ask questions to which they do not
> presume to already know the correct answer."
>
> I taught at a university level and when I first started to teach I found
> myself extremely hesitant to ask questions to which I didn't know the
> answer.  I was quite worried that I would lose face in the class or be
> viewed as not knowing the material.  It took quite a while for me to
> learn that I was also in a learning experience in the classroom with the
> students.
>
> I was wondering if teachers at the high school level also go through
> this period of personal development.

Generally I agree with this philosophy. It is important for the
students to realize, especially in science class, that not every
answer is known.

But, on the other hand, it is important that they realize that *some*
answers are known, and that the teachers knows at least a good
fraction of those answers that relate to the subject at hand. I don't
have any problem with telling my students I don't know the answer to
a particular questions, or that I have told them all I know about a
particular topic, but I do this *after* I have already established
that I *do* know a lot of answers. If the class gets the idea that
you don't know *anything* they will do a number on you that won't
quit.

I particularly enjoy when I can engage them in questions to which no
one knows the answer, or which are essentially unanswerable. If they
don't come out of science classes with the understanding that there
are still questions remaining to be answered and that not all
questions can be answered, they have missed an important point about
science.

It is important that they realize that the questions they are likely
to be asked on homework or tests in my class are known to have an
answer (unless they are specifically asked for an opinion), but that
the questions that may come up when they become working scientists,
probably haven't been answered yet, or they wouldn't be being asked
them now, and that since the answer isn't know, it is not even
certain if the question *has* an answer. They may even have to rework
the question itself before they will be able to work toward an answer.

A long-winded answer to a short question. I know many teachers are
terrified that their students may find out they don't know the answer
to a question (in part this may be a cultural phenomenon, and I have
observed it mainly at lower levels--middle and elementary school--and
especially when the teacher is acutely aware of his or her own
serious lack of preparation for the subject), but I learned early on
that (at least by the time they get to high school) students
appreciate a teacher who will be frank about the limits of his or her
knowledge.

Hugh
--

Hugh Haskell
<mailto://haskell@ncssm.edu>
<mailto://hhaskell@mindspring.com>

(919) 467-7610

Let's face it. People use a Mac because they want to, Windows because they
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