If I have no questions, I probably have no clue

Stop the lectures and see what bubbles up… (Image by Martin Str from Pixabay)

When you think about it, strangers should have the most to talk about. 

They know nothing about each other. Theoretically, everything they say to each other should be new and fresh. 

But because they don’t know each other, there are no entry points to the conversation. There are no questions, and therefore no answers. They stand together at the bus stop In silence and boredom, stamping their feet in the cold.

Their curiosity unstimulated, they go their separate ways without knowing anything more about each other.

That is the way it goes for us as students, too. The less we know about something, the less curious we tend to be. If I’m unfamiliar with a concept and don’t understand it, It’s like trying to scale a smooth metal water tower without a ladder. There is nowhere for me to get a foothold. I have no questions, because I don’t know where to begin.

Not only does my lack of knowledge prevent me from being able to formulate an appropriate question, I have nothing to be curious about and therefore no reason to ask the question. An additional barrier is that question-asking is a bold act. The larger the class, the more the act of asking a question resembles public speaking. I’m acknowledging, potentially to a roomful of people, that I don’t know something, stopping everything and drawing attention to myself. The cost may not be worth it. 

Anyone who teaches, coaches, or raises children should take into account that a lack of questions does not indicate understanding. In fact, it may indicate just the opposite. Students might be too overwhelmed (or bored) to know what to ask.

It may seem that beginning with a student’s interests is a good way of stimulating engagement and discussion. However, for a hesitant student, this can be intrusive and unwelcome (much like a stranger at a bus stop trying to engage them in conversation).

it is clear that providing a bunch of information by explaining or lecturing isn’t necessarily going to engage students, and even trying to engage them with a topic they are interested in may fail.

So what do we do?

We must help the student become aware of a gap in their knowledge. One way to create that gap is to begin with a question. A good question stimulates tension, making us want to fill the gap with an answer.. This tension doesn’t have to be unpleasant — it’s the basis for any good joke or work of literature.

Ideally, the question is one that the student can answer with the information he already has, simply by assembling that information in a different way. As the student provides answers, we can build on them, Socratically, and gradually develop the student’s knowledge and understanding of the world.

We can go even further, focusing on great questions instead of great answers. After all, great questions are the basis of all of the scientific knowledge we humans have collected, the foundation of an excellent interview, and the starting point for world-changing works of art, social movements, and business ventures. From “What if…?” to “Why not…?” to “How…?”, intriguing questions lead to learning, growth, and change.

Even though many teachers have embraced this approach to questions, even approaching a new topic by brainstorming a list of questions with their students, there are still teachers who treat students’ questions as annoyances or evidence of poor listening. “Where were you? We went over this!” I have heard many heartbreaking stories of kids who were yelled at for daring to ask questions in the classroom.

If we want to have curious, adventurous people in the world, we have to adopt a more curious and adventurous approach to learning: one that welcomes questions and is less focused on safely getting the right answer. Ideally, we teachers, coaches, and parents should model not the posture of holding the knowledge and answers, but the posture of being question-askers ourselves, eternally curious and perpetually learning.