{"id":6046,"date":"2023-10-12T20:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T20:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/blog\/5-tips-for-asking-better-questions-after-teacher-observations"},"modified":"2024-11-13T01:01:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T01:01:20","slug":"5-tips-for-asking-better-questions-after-teacher-observations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/blog\/5-tips-for-asking-better-questions-after-teacher-observations","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Asking Better Questions after Teacher Observations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Picture yourself sitting down to have a reflecting conversation with a teacher you just observed teaching a lesson. The conversation is going well; the teacher shares that she thought the lesson went okay, basically the way she had planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help the teacher explore her practice more deeply, when the teacher finishes sharing you ask, \u201cSo what would you do differently next time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly the teacher\u2019s posture changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sits up straight and diverts her eyes. \u201cWhat do you mean do differently? I mean, I\u2019m not sure what I\u2019d do differently next time. I thought it went pretty well.\u201d The tone of her voice rises and her speech quickens; something is wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You quickly try to repair the conversation and explain the intention behind your question<\/a>. The teacher nods but a few moments later asks if you could come back another time, as she just remembered something she has to take care of before her next class of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say, \u201cof course\u201d and that you\u2019ll stop by tomorrow, but the teacher has already moved on. You leave, wondering how your intentions behind the question could have been so badly received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crafting questions that invite thinking<\/a>\u2014while providing psychological safety to the person receiving the question\u2014is a skill that needs attention and intentional practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research says that questioning may be the most frequently used instructional intervention used by teachers, with questions reaching up to 400 a day. As it turns out, questioning is also a main component of almost every coaching model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If educators, coaches, and instructional leaders know the value of asking questions, why have we have all had those moments when our efforts fall flat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the work of Cognitive Coaching<\/a>, we continually develop our understanding of this challenge, drawing from both experience and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Tips for Asking Better Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Below are some key ingredients to asking questions in ways that invite and support thinking while creating a safe environment for the response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Approachable voice is a way of attending to the tone and inflection of voice when asking questions (Costa & Garmston, 2002). fMRI scans show that the brain has better cognitive functioning when questions are posed with a focus on the Positive Emotional Attractor (PEA), or positive visioning areas of the brain. Researchers from Case Western Reserve found through fMRI studies that these spaces were aroused from the approachable state.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Tentative language (\u201cmight\u201d or \u201csome\u201d) is word choice in a question that signals to the brain \u201ca toward state,\u201d or an open and curious state of mind (Rock, 2009). This is significant because it implies exploration and an invitation to think.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Plural forms are the syntax and structure of a question that allow the brain to think in multiple possibilities, \u201c[supporting] the capacity for choice\u201d (Rock, 2009).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Positive presuppositions are positive assumptions and meaning embedded in the question that \u201cassumes capability and empowerment\u201d (Costa & Garmston, 2002).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Open-ended stems are the structure of a question indicating that many different answers are possible; or an opening that has no known answer and does not constrain a response (Hargreaves, 1984; de Rivera et al., 2005).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    These specific structural elements provide the maximum potential to invite thinking, rather than a \u201cgotcha\u201d reactionary response. Rock, in his book Your Brain at Work<\/a>, cites the work of Mark Beeman in the NeuroLeadership Journal<\/a> to explain the significance of using questions to help people \u201cfocus on their own subtle connections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the above scenario, while the intention of the coach was to explore the teacher\u2019s thinking about the lesson, the use of the word \u201cdifferently\u201d negatively presupposes that the lesson needs to be changed from the perspective of the coach. Instead of asking a question that might allow the teacher to make their \u201cown subtle connection,\u201d the negative presupposition made the connection for them, possibly leading to the teacher\u2019s defensive response.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Empowering Educator Growth<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    Nurturing the growth of educators is critical to enhancing student achievement and success.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Download Now<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Empowering Educator Growth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Nurturing the growth of educators is critical to enhancing student achievement and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rethinking \u201cWhat would you do differently next time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s rephrase our question using these new tips. It might sound something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat might (tentative language) be some (tentative language) important parts (plural forms) of the lesson you want to remember (positive presuppositions for reflection) as you plan (positive presupposition for planning) for the next lesson?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And, of course, the question would be offered in a tone conveying a positive, approachable stance and tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6 Great Examples of Reflective Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some additional examples of questions with these specific structural elements you might offer in a reflecting conversation after a teacher observation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. What are some of the things you noticed that let you know the lesson was going well?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. What were some decisions you made during the lesson that supported your students\u2019 success with the lesson?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. How might the way the lesson went compare to how you planned it?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. As you reflect on your lesson, what are you learning that you might want to carry forward for next time?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Based on what you\u2019re learning about yourself during this lesson, what might you commit to applying next time?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. How has this conversation helped your thinking?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Some Final Reminders<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Lastly, as you think about using these elements of invitation to coach teachers around their practice, here are a few reminders in posing questions that support thinking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n