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Questioning

Strategies to involve all students.

Following our Friday Teaching & Learning Session on exploring how we use questioning in our classrooms, two things became clear:

1. Questioning is a teacher's bread and butter and we all use a wide range of questioning types and strategies to develop understanding and enhance learning.

2. A perennial problem is how to engage ALL students in the question and response process.

In order to address this second point, all teachers present were asked to contribute ways they have used successfully to ensure that all students expect to be asked questions, and ways to help them respond when they are called upon. A wide range of ideas were contributed which have been collated below:

• Epraise random name generator –  a very popular choice
• Asking a question and then allowing thinking time before asking for responses
• Add/build/challenge around the room – start with a weaker student, use stronger ones to build up response
• No opt out – come back to students or help facilitate them finding an answer
• Let students know who is going to be asked next
• PP first
• Cold calling – perhaps keeping a tracking system so you know who has answered, or use traffic lights in planners – change when answered
• Student chooses who answers next
• Using question prompts such as props or images
• Ways of selecting randomly – bingo balls/playing cards – student has a number/card that is theirs for the year.
• Alphabetical on register
• Groups/study buddies/think, pair, share
• Wheel of fortune – selects a group of students to answer: can use this to build up a response

There are certainly plenty of ideas to try here if you want to explore a new and different way of ensuring full class engagement.  

Thank you to everyone who contributed ideas at the session.