Questions are drivers of inquiry, catalysts for changing our perceptions, vehicles for developing understanding, promoters of action, and opportunities to clarify our thinking . . . and, a major way that teachers interact with their students. There is evidence that shows that teacher questions consume between 10-20% of the time students spend in classrooms. However, research shows that more than 80% of all teacher questions only require students to recall facts. Is this true in our classrooms? How can we collect data to help us better understand our own questioning and the questions students experience across our schools? How can we better understand what effective questioning looks, feels, and sounds like in a cultures of thinking classroom? In addition, if we recognize questions are important vehicles for learning, they shouldn’t totally be the purview of teachers. How can we engage students in asking better questions that increase engagement and deepen learning? Questions are one of the most powerful ways learners to express their thinking, enhance problem-solving, monitor understanding, and improve as active and autonomous learners. How can we harness the potential of questioning to develop more independent learners?
