Sage Advice: What's the Most Commonly Asked Question in the Classroom?
"Why do we have to learn this?" And it's a pretty good question!
Michelle Phillips
Senior researcher, CILS
Center for Learning and Teaching, the Exploratorium
San Francisco, California
"Why?" (because humans really do want to learn), and "Can I go to the bathroom?" (because humans have such a short attention span that they cannot make it through forty-five minutes of teaching without getting up and having some diversion). Therein lies the dichotomy and challenge of teaching.
Sandy Renehan
Principal
All Saints Catholic Academy
Naperville, Illinois
"How do you do this?" I follow that question by throwing it back to them and asking them to ask someone in their group who understands the directions. This way, students can feel successful by teaching others.
Kerlyn Prada
Fifth-grade teacher
Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor Elementary School
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
"When am I ever going to need this in real life?" It is a very relevant question. The trick is to make every topic covered be relevant to each student in the classroom in some capacity. Then the students will recognize its validity for their future.
Tom Pasinski
Junior high school teacher
Center for Educational Excellence
Tempe, Arizona
Most frequently asked question: "Can I go to the bathroom?"
Most frequently heard response: "I don't know? Can you?"
Next most frequently asked question: "May I go to the bathroom?"
Next most frequently heard response: "Yes, you may."
Susan Sullivan
Librarian
Kirk Road School
Greece, New York
"Will this be on the test?" We cringe. If we say no, a room full of brains shuts down. But if we say yes every time, we become the Teacher Who Cried Test. "Why can't you be motivated by the love of learning?" we moan, as we carefully organize them into a childhood structured around passing tests. The real question is why we can't motivate them to love learning. That one will be on the test.
Bill Freese
Instructional media and computing labs
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
"Does this count?" My answer: "Yes. Everything counts. Always. Otherwise, we're wasting our time."
Susan Davis
Director of curriculum and instruction
The Chinquapin School
Highlands, Texas
"What are we doing today?" A large number of middle school students ask this question every day, despite having the day's agenda written on the whiteboard and the weekly calendar printed and handed out on Mondays. What they are really asking is, "Can I connect with you again today?" and "Please focus on me, because I want some one-on-one time with you." Never underestimate the power of a friendly teacher smile, a listening ear, and a word or two with these students!
Most Commonly Asked Questions
"What are we doing next?" This question has been asked a million times in my fourth grade classroom. Of course, I post a written agenda that gets copied into planners by every student in the class. I take this question as a compliment. The students are intrigued by the labels I put onto the learning activities and want to know more. However, this question is exhausting, so I simply answer, "you'll find out." Once I responded in this manner several times, the students caught on. Now, we have a joke between us. They will ask jokingly, "what are we doing next?" I simply smile. I agree with Alix E. Pishette on this topic. It is simply the students crying out for some one-on-one attention from a teacher whom they respect and admire.
Mathematics
"Is this going to be taken for a grade?"
Students think if an assignment is not going to be taken for a grade then they do not have to try as hard. Because of this, if they do not try hard, then they will not have the practice needed to perform well when the assignment is graded.
"When am I every going to need this?"
Sometimes teachers gloss over these types of questions; other times they retort with the empty response of “I had to learn it so you should too.” This type of question from students isn’t one that can be passed off flippantly. It’s exactly the type of question that good teaching fosters. If we as teachers don’t have a clear answer to it, then what’s the purpose of what we do? Here's what I do: http://www.mrpahs.com/2009/10/21/when-am-i-ever-going-to-need-this/. If we as teachers don't encourage this type of thinking and questioning, then much of what we do in the classroom will be irrelevant.
Lindsey Pahs
High School Teacher
Denver, CO