“What time is lunch?” “What time is recess?” “Why are we doing this?” “Will you come to my birthday party?” These are just a few questions that my third graders ask me on a daily basis. Questions used to unnerve me, scare me too sometimes, but after reading Warren Berger’s “A More Beautiful Question,” (2014) I have learned to appreciate the curiosity, eagerness, and importance that questions have. In the busy, curriculum driven, standardized test focused education system, we don’t always find time to question, or allow our students to question (Berger, 2014).
On page 65 of “A More Beautiful Question,” Berger discusses a program created by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana of the Right Question Institute. Originally designed for the business world, this questioning process has been adapted for K-12 schools and fosters inquisitive thinking while opening a dialogue of questions (Berger, 2014). It is my goal to bring this thinking process into my classroom. I am going to prioritize questioning and encourage my students to think critically and inquisitively.
Teachers Design a Focus
Students Produce Questions: students will do this in a group and write down every question. It is important at this time that the students do not attempt to answer any questions, but only generate them.
Students Improve their Questions: changing a question to open or closed ended depending on the context.
Students Prioritize their Questions: the students will work together in their groups to pick their top 3 favorites.
Students and Teachers Decide on the Next Steps: for acting on the questions they prioritized.
Students Reflect on what they Learned
For other educators who feel as if you don't have time to answer your students questions, I empathize with you. I never feel like there is enough time in the day, or enough days in the school year to accomplish all that I want to with my students. However, restricting our students inquisitive natures and discouraging questions decreases our students interest and engagement with the content (Berger, 2014). As educators, it is our duty to support our students' critical thinking and problem solving skills. Our students are the future citizens and leaders of the world. We need to encourage their curiosity, with the knowledge that someday they will ask the beautiful questions that will change our world for the better (Berger, 2014).
Photo by me holding "A More Beautiful Question"
Resource
Berger, W. (2014). A more beautiful question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough
ideas. Bloomsbury USA.
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