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questioning

What’s the starting point for all learning?

2016-02-08T12:52:13+00:00February 7th, 2016|learning|

"No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious." George Bernard Shaw UPDATED 7th February 6.30pm This morning in answer to a question about whether children should be taught to challenge 'neat interpretations', I suggested that it's usually a good idea to know something really well before you start questioning it. In response I was told by a Head of English who has now asked for her tweet to be removed from this post that my opinion was "Rubbish," and that, "Asking questions is the starting point for all learning." She went on to say, "If only [...]

Questions about questioning: just how important is it?

2014-02-19T09:54:12+00:00February 16th, 2014|training|

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Nietzsche It's a little tiresome, but I feel I must preface this by saying that these are just my thoughts. I'm not claiming anyone is wrong (or right for that matter) just that it always pays to question anything that passes as conventional wisdom. And what could be more conventionally wise that the assumption that teachers need to commit time and resources to improving their ability to ask questions of their pupils? The research suggests that teachers, traditionally, aren't that great at asking questions. We often answer our own [...]

A model lesson? Part 1: routines vs gimmicks

2014-08-19T15:24:12+01:00September 8th, 2013|leadership, learning, planning, training|

It's been a busy week this week. What with starting at a new school, getting up before 5 to drive two hours on Monday morning, living an Alan Partridge-esque existence in a particularly horrific Travelodge, and risking whatever credibility I might have by teaching a 'model' lesson in front of colleagues I'd barely met to kids I'd never met. That this was in any way successful is largely down to the efforts of co-conspirator, Fiona Aris: due to a series of unlikely but banal events, we were unable to meet up (or even meet) beforehand and she (Kindly? Foolishly?) agreed to plan said [...]

Developing oracy: it’s talkin’ time!

2022-04-28T10:05:30+01:00December 29th, 2012|learning, literacy|

Talk is the sea upon which all else floats ~ James Britton, Language and Learning, 1970 Students spend a lot of talking, don't they? Everyone can speak, so why would we want to waste valuable time teaching them to do it? Well, while all this is undoubtedly true, many students don't speak well. This is, I hasten to add, not the same as being well spoken. As teachers we're pretty leary of the idea of talking in lessons. Teacher talk has got itself a very bad name. But in the best examples of talk lead lessons, teacher talk is generously interspersed with questions (both to [...]

How effective learning hinges on good questioning

2013-07-19T11:08:43+01:00February 4th, 2012|assessment, English, learning|

Hands up who likes asking questions? Questioning is an essential part of helping students to make progress but only if it causes thinking or elicits evidence that informs our teaching. And the thing with asking questions is that while there are some kids who know how to make the system work for them and actively participate in lessons because that they way they’ll learn more, there are those who don't. Dylan Wiliam claims that the students who are sufficiently engaged to put up their hands and answer everything we ask them are “actually getting smarter. Their IQs actually go up.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtZ1pmY0VzI&feature=related [...]

Questions every teacher should ask every day

2011-09-18T22:03:26+01:00September 18th, 2011|learning|

I've just read David Warlick's blog post on Transformative Questions and am feeling pretty excited about it. In it he challenges teachers to "create a culture of learners that thrive in the 21st century." He says that learning should include the following qualities. They should : - be responsive to learners' needs - provoke conversation, - inspire personal investment - be guided by safely-made mistakes.   He has come up with these questions to challenge us when designing lessons: 1. How might I alter this assignment or project so that it “Responds” to the learner? How can the experience “Talk Back?” 2. How might [...]

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