I enjoy student questions. They can
be insightful, intriguing, and stimulating. Questions can reveal a misconception
or illuminate a connection among ideas. But let’s be honest: Although student
questions are often energizing, they can also be enervating. They can suck the
wind right out of your sails.
Raise your hand
if you have heard any of the following:
“When am I ever
going to use this?” “Will this be on the test?” “Are we doing anything
important in class today?” “I was out yesterday. Did I miss anything?” “How
long will the test be?” “Do we have to do this?” “Can I work with a different
group?” “Can I have the homework now?” “My assignment is not quite done/at
home/in my other notebook. Can I turn it in later?”
When you hear enough
versions of these questions, they can become numbing. I was becoming annoyed by
them. But just as no student truly wants to fail, no student asks a question
just to annoy. Honoring student voice means believing in good intentions. I
realized that what I was hearing in the questions was different from what the
students were trying to say. I started analyzing some of these questions,
working with students and colleagues to change the conversation. As a result, I
know more about what my students need and can do a better job of meeting those
needs.
Below is a chart
that summarizes my research so far.
The
student says . . .
|
I
hear . . .
|
The
student might mean . . .
|
“When am I ever going
to use this?”
“Why are we learning
this?”
“How is this used in
real life?”
|
“Why is your class so
boring?”
|
“I am feeling
overwhelmed.”
“What is going on?”
|
“How long is the
test? ”
|
“Just tell me exactly
what to do. ”
|
“I am worried that I
am not prepared for the test.”
|
“Did I miss anything
yesterday? ”
|
“Was your planning
for yesterday’s class worthwhile, or did you end up wasting everyone’s time?
”
|
“I am nervous that I
may have missed something significant when I was out. ”
|
“Are we doing
anything important today? ”
|
“I don’t value your
class. ”
|
“I am having trouble
following through on my commitment to our class.”
|
When I have the
presence of mind to reframe a student’s question, the conversation is more
productive and less tense. Sometimes the rephrasing is only in my head, and
sometimes I ask the student directly, “When you ask [insert question from column
A], do you mean [insert translation from column C]?” Usually the student will
agree or clarify. One student who asked when he would ever use a certain math
procedure replied sincerely, “I was wondering if this is used anywhere, or if
it is just one of those cool math things.” Priceless.
Uncovering the more
revealing, substantial question behind the demoralizing question is extremely
satisfying. I am less bothered, and the students are more engaged. And student
voice is honored. Students’ feelings are acknowledged, and their contributions
validated. They know that they are an important part of the learning community.
I have only
scratched the surface of the topic of student questions. Please help me expand
the chart.
Kathy Erickson, kathyserickson@gmail.com,
teaches mathematics at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great
Barrington, Massachusetts. She is chair of the editorial panel for NCTM’s Student Explorations
in Mathematics and is Rock, Paper, Scissors commissioner for her school. She
finds inspiration every day in the mathematical questions, insights, and joys
of her students and colleagues