EDSE 500 Questioning Technique

Last week, I first tried the so-called “cold calling” questioning method of pulling randomly shuffled name cards, but the lesson was a flop. I was trying my best at the time to work outside my comfort zone, so to speak, and teach a lesson based on induction. However, because the entire lesson consisted of a single activity, and because my pace in leading them trough that activity was entirely too slow, the students became bored and disengaged. I also had trouble leading them by the nose like that into the unfamiliar territory of inductive thinking. What, you are not going to tell me what to do? Terrifying! In short, the kids were not exactly buying into what I was trying to accomplish that day, but I doubted whether the cold calling cards had anything to do it. So I wanted to give the questioning technique another try, this time with a more deductive lecture that we would all be more comfortable doing.

In short, it worked. The kids who usually volunteer to answer every question still got their chances to answer a question or two, but the cold calling technique really seemed to help get a lot more out of those who are usually reluctant to talk. I made a point to tailor each question in such a way that no student should be completely stumped, yet the answer to one question would often lead directly into the next question (and another student). I meticulously thanked and praised every student after they had answered, which hopefully will encourage the shy ones to volunteer more often. In fact, when I later asked for volunteers, I was happy to acknowledge the hand of one of my shier students who hardly ever raised her hand before. Furthermore, when I drew the name of a boy asleep in the back row (once I had written his name on the board and shaken his arm to wake him up), the questions actually seemed to revive him, and he never seemed to get drowsy again for the rest of the period.

Today was also the day of my big scary evaluation from Jaws. In our feedback session in the cafeteria afterwards, at a big round yellow table still wet from being wiped down from the after-school lunch rush, he commented that my questioning technique was among the strengths of my lesson. I definitely plan on using “cold calling” name cards this fall. Hooray for Teacher Corps!