1. Formative Assessments
Questioning
Formative Assessments

2. The art of questioning
Appropriate questioning is a valuable tool for effective instruction and assessment. You know if students are paying attention and if they understand what you are teaching. Effective, clear, and critical questioning is an art.

3. Some do’s and don’ts of questioning

4. Don’t answer your own question
Student s will learn to just be quiet
Use wait time!

5. Don’t ask yes/no questions
This will not tell you anything about student knowledge.
They have a 50% chance of being right.
Examples:
Is the figure ABCD a square?
Is the center of an atom the nucleus?
Did the Union win the Civil War?

6. Do wait after asking a question before calling on a student.
The class needs time to think about an answer.
Wait time depends on difficulty of question.

7. Don’t call on a student before asking the question
The rest of the class tunes out
One student is put on the spot

8. Don’t label the difficulty of a question
Students may get discouraged in they can’t answer an “easy” question
It devalues an answer

9. Don’t encourage chorus answers
Students will shout out right and wrong answers
You can’t figure out level of understanding for any particular student

10. Do ask open ended questions
This encourages thinking and problem solving

11. Don’t ask questions with multiple parts
Student may only know half of the answer, so they won’t volunteer
Overwhelming to students!
Examples:
Which triangles should we prove congruent and how will that help us prove AB is parallel to CD?
What is the meaning of juxtaposition and how did the author use that in chapter 1?

12. Don’t ask elliptical questions
These are vague questions
Teacher does not address specifics of the problem
Examples:
What about these angles?
What do you know about Mesopotamia?

13. Don’t ask leading questions
This pulls the answer out of students
Examples:
These lines are the same, aren’t they?
This is an example of diffusion, isn’t it?

14. Don’t ask personal questions
Don’t say “me” in questions
The classroom should be a community
Personal questions can create a barrier

15. Use questions that compare and contrast
This encourages active thinking and requires the students to not just guess
Don’t ask “What is the relationship between ____”
Say “Compare and contrast ______”

16. Don’t use whiplash questions
This is when you start with a statement and turn it into a question
It takes students by surprise
Examples:
When we solve the equation we get an answer of what?
The formal “you” conjugation of the verb tener is what?

17. Things we want in questions:
Direct and Simple Language
 Definite and Clear Meaning
 Logical Sequence
 Questions Keyed to Class Ability
 Questions Stimulating Effort
 Maintaining Student Interest
 Avoiding Repetition
 Avoiding Repetition of Student Answers
 Calling on Students
 Wait-Time After Asking a Question

18. So how do I master the art of teaching?
PREPARE! Think about questions and possible responses while planning lessons
PRACTICE! You have to start somewhere!
REFLECT! At the end of the lesson think about the strengths and areas to improve and then change.