As teachers, we’ve been charged with the task of moving kids to higher level thinking by using questioning strategies that “force” (poor wording choice, I’ll think of something else after I publish this I’m sure) students to think about their thinking. I’ll be real honest here and say we are struggling with this. It’s hard work, no doubt. I’ve been wondering why this is and how to help my peers, as well as myself.

Early this morning, I came across a tweet that directed me to this article: 6 WHAT IF QUESTIONS THAT GREAT TEACHERS ASK EVERY DAY. I had a brief epiphany while reading it. Perhaps we are struggling with questioning strategies, because we aren’t even used to question ourselves? At the end of the day, after all the papers are graded, copies are made, lessons are posted, noses are wiped, centers are cleaned up/reorganized, tutorials or whatever  I needed to do to wrap up my day as a teacher, the last thing on my mind was to think about my thinking, probing deeper, or concern myself with anything other than getting home and being a Mom. (Dang, that was a long sentence!) I wasn’t religious about it, but I made it a priority while I had a free moment (driving home from work, making dinner, in the bathroom, taking a shower, in-between commercials, those moments right before bed when you can’t fall asleep, the possibilities are infinite). I reflected on what happened that day, if it mattered, what worked and what didn’t. I wasn’t always honest with myself, either. Imagine that, lying to yourself? In the end, my heart knew the truth to the questions I presented whether my mind wanted to admit it or not.

Do you question your pedagogy? Do you practice what you preach to your students? Let’s be real here. Would you want a personal trainer teaching you about nutrition whilst eating a Big Mac and sucking down a diet soda? Or someone teaching you how to meditate, but never does it themselves? (All of these much like the “friend” who loves to give advice, but doesn’t really follow it themselves……..I digress, sorry) I think you get my point.

Maybe we don’t ask ourselves the questions, because we are afraid of the answers? I know I run into that predicament a lot. I want to be a better coach, a better teacher, a better friend, and just an overall better human being. When we have new information about a situation or ourselves, naturally it becomes our responsibility to choose change or stagnation. Frankly, stagnation stinks (metaphorically and realistically) so I ultimately choose change. It’s NEVER easy, but always worth it.

Start questioning what you do at the end of the day. I dare you to answer yourself honestly. Share what you discovered with a close colleague. Resist the urge to complain (sometimes that’s the hardest part) and practice questioning them about what they just said. Help them dig deeper. Maybe if we start practicing with ourselves and with each other, it will become second nature to start questioning our students with the same veracity and intent. Using those scaffolding questions to build them to the higher understanding will naturally unfold. If we can teach them that, then they can start their practice with their peers. The spirit of questioning and probing becomes contagious. This knowledge of “knowing” becomes the catalyst to promote understanding and change as we spin around on this big old rock into a galaxy of infinity possibilities.