ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AS TEACHERS

I know that teachers are asking, “Are there any questions?” and “Do you understand?”; however, I’m not sure how many teachers are asking, “What do you notice?” or “What do you wonder?” So many times, teachers will ask if there are any questions, or whether students understand, only to be met with blank stares. This leads to nobody’s “needs” being met.

Asking good questions is key to any well-functioning classroom. KAT CONCEPTS students’ ability to communicate mathematically. Asking good questions gets conversations started. Simply by asking students what they notice and/or what they wonder, students will begin to communicate mathematically. Asking them what they notice and what they wonder puts the ownership back on the student, encouraging them to think and communicate about math.

My ultimate goal is to create independent thinkers and doers of mathematics. So many times they panic and shut down when they “don’t get it.” Maybe if I give them the opportunity to notice and wonder about things, their anxiety will decrease. I look forward to trying this approach in class. It’s new, so there will be some “growing pains” that go along with trying something new, but if it helps to create independent thinkers, I’m all for it!