Teaching for Student Learning
Encouraging discussion and responding to questions: When a student raises his/her hand, the reaction of the first-time teacher can be terror! What if I don't know the answer!! Realize that no one expects you to know the answer to every question…all you have to do is be honest about what you do and don’t know. And if you’ve prepared well, you will almost always know more than your students about your topic. When you don't know the answer, say so. Ask the student to remind you of the question by email, dig up the answer in the calmness of your office, and be certain to get back to the student or class. Not only do students appreciate the respect shown by your follow-up, but this also prevents students who tend to ask "off-topic" questions from taking over class time.
- Answering and Asking Questions by William Cashin, Kansas State
- Question Strategies from University of Waterloo
- Developing Questioning Skills by Karron Lewis, University of Texas at Austin
- Tips for Using Questions in Large Classes by Daniel J. Klionsky, University of California, Davis
- Encouraging Class Discussion from University of California at Berkeley
- Facilitating Effective Discussions from University of Waterloo
- Organizing and Conducting a Class Discussion or Review by Marilla Svinicki, University of Texas at Austin
