Picture retrieved from https://www.teachhub.com/when-kids-dont-care-battling-student-apathy Recently I completed a “quick fire” question activity where I had to consider a problem in the classroom and brainstorm using only questions about that problem. To begin, I was having difficulty, but once I started getting in the groove of it, I realized I had a lot of questions. I started with the problem of student apathy in the classroom, because that is something my students struggle with. I have been reading Warren Bergers A More Beautiful Question, and it shed a lot of light on why my students may be apathetic. Further, it shed light on why this activity was so hard at first and how questioning has been becoming more and more scarce in the classroom (Berger, 2014). Also, this blog post by Lindsay Ann Learning has some great ideas about how to combat apathy in the classroom. Below is a screenshot of my brainstorm activity! Picture produced by author As I mentioned, when I began this activity I felt like I was drawing a blank after asking my initial question, “why are students apathetic?”. I didn’t know how to brainstorm using questions and honestly I felt like I just didn’t know what other questions to ask. As Berger states, “But many educators and learning experts contend that our current system of education does not encourage, teach, or in some cases even tolerate questioning” (Berger, 2014, p. 46). This made me wonder if since I am having difficulty questioning, I could be translating that to my students and this could in turn make them less engaged. Berger also presents the idea that as students lost the ability to question, they became less engaged in the classroom (Berger, 2014). Picture retrieved from https://www.activistpost.com/2018/08/the-price-humans-pay-for-apathy.html Berger’s ideas also brought my attention to the fact that I am not questioning my students in different ways, and as he presents in his book, I am using questioning mostly as a type of formative assessment as opposed to using it to spark more curiosity (Berger, 2014). It is true that considering questions and inquiry based learning requires more brain power and time than simply answering multiple choice questions. However, a problem lies in that using more brain power and questioning has a negative connotation. I will admit, that when I was presented with the “quick fire” question task that I needed to complete, I had an “ugh” feeling. After reading Berger’s ideas I realized that that was a problem. He states, “If the question muscle has atrophied by junior high, imagine its condition by the time a student goes to college” (Berger, 2014, p. 66). Unfortunately, after reflecting on Berger’s ideas and completing my question activity, I had noticed my question muscle is not working at its full potential. What I would like to do now is incorporate more questioning into my practice; not just asking my students questions but allowing them to ask questions that they want answered. As Berger presents, “Dennie Palmer Wolf…examined the role of questioning in schools for her academic paper “The Art of Questioning” and found that teachers tended “to monopolize the right to question “ in classrooms” (Berger, 2014, p. 56). I am definitely guilty of this but it is not my intention to discourage or not allow my students to ask questions, it just seems that it is natural as a teacher to pose questions. Berger continues to explain that kids feel more responsibility to answer a question that they pose themselves (Berger, 2014). It makes total sense that if one personally discovers a problem, it is only natural that they would be more inclined to find a solution. Berger’s ideas and the “quick fire” question activity were eye-opening for me. I realized how little I am questioning problems in my practice and how I am finding solutions to them even less. It is vital as educators that we are modeling how to question and allowing time for student exploration. We are in the 21st century and it is essential that our students are equipped with the tools necessary to succeed in our society, and more student questioning and exploration is essential in making this happen. Check out this Teach Thought article about 21st century learning if you want to learn more! References Berger, W. (2014). A More Beautiful Question. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Condron, A. When kids don’t care: Battling student apathy. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.teachhub.com/when-kids-dont-care-battling-student-apathy Frompovich, C. The price humans pay for apathy. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.activistpost.com/2018/08/the-price-humans-pay-for-apathy.html Learning, L. A. Five ways to fight student apathy: How to fight student apathy. (2019). [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html Nichols, J. R. (2017). 4 essential rules of 21st century learning. Retrieved from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/4-essential-rules-of-21st-century-learning/
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AuthorMy name is Mallory Williams and I am just trying to better my teaching practice! Most of my posts will be about learning and understanding. Enjoy! Archives |