Questioning

Rosenshine – ask a large number of questions, checking the response from ALL leaners in the classroom. When we question students, it is important that we get answers from ALL students, not just those who are prepared to put their hands up. 

No hands up

All students need to have an answer so that they are all thinking and so that the teacher gets feedback from ALL students, gaining a true picture of what the class knows and remembers.

We need to have ways to get answers from ALL students – for example, mini whiteboards, google classroom quiz, students hold up coloured cards to answer multiple choice quizzes, etc.

Check for understanding.  Students who volunteer to answer a question are more likely to know the answer than those who don’t.  If you only take volunteers when you check for understanding, then your data will always tell you that the news is better than it really is. (Lemov: Teach Like a Champion 2.0)

No opt out

All students need to learn the content and therefore all need to be thinking and coming up with answers.  Questions need to be answered by all students. Strategies include:

• discuss in pairs
• phone a friend
• repeat the correct answer
• options given
• look back in your book/textbook

Thinking time

We need to give students time to retrieve the knowledge and for them to think hard.  Research has shown that most teachers wait only seconds for answers before giving the answer themselves.  Students know this and wait until we give in.  Which shows what we know, not what they know.

Stretch it

• Not always accepting the first answer.
• Say it in a full sentence
• Say it again but this time using key vocabulary
• Extend on someone else’s answer
• Use more complex vocabulary
• Include a worked example
• Support your answer

Rigour = teacher consistently asking students to improve and develop their own and classmates’ initial answers. (Lemov: Teach Like a Champion 2.0)