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Questions for the beginning of term

Tuesday 10 September 2019

It's the beginning of a new school year in the northern hemisphere.

Which key provocations | inquiries should we be asking as educators?

For me it's personal this year. I have a daughter who is starting her new school, and they will care for her until she is 18. I want to ensure that she will get the best support so that she can fulfil her potential.

I am indebted to others (see their links below) for the compilation of helpful reflections provided on this page.

20 questions parents should | could ask teachers

“For students, the ultimate support system is not an expert teacher, but an informed and supportive family. The more informed a family is, the more seamlessly they’ll connect to so many other edu-constructs, from extracurricular activities and tutoring to reading programs and school-related events. So, in pursuit of that transparency, below are some questions parents ideally would be asking you to better clarify what’s happening in the classroom." (Teachthought, 20 questions every parent should ask teachers, March 2018)

  1. What academic standards do you use, and what do I need to know about them?
  2. How will you respond if or when my child struggles in class?
  3. What are the most important and complex (content-related) ideas my child needs to understand by the end of the year?
  4. Do you focus on strengths or weaknesses?
  5. How are creativity and innovative thinking used on a daily basis in your classroom?
  6. How is critical thinking used on a daily basis in your classroom?
  7. How are assessments designed to promote learning rather than simple measurement?
  8. What can I do to meaningfully support literacy in my home?
  9. What kinds of questions do you suggest that I ask my children on a daily basis about your class?
  10. How exactly is learning personalized in your classroom? In the school?
  11. How do you measure academic progress, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of that approach?
  12. What are the most common instructional or literacy strategies you will use this year, and why?
  13. What learning models do you use (e.g., project-based learning, mobile learning, game-based learning, etc.), and what do you see as the primary benefits of that approach?
  14. What are the best school or district resources that we should consider using as a family to support our child in the classroom?
  15. Is there technology you’d recommend that can help support my child in self-directed learning at home?
  16. What are the most common barriers you see to academic progress in your classroom?
  17. How is education changing?
  18. How do you see the role of the teacher in the learning process?
  19. What would the ideal learning environment, free of any constraints, look like?
  20. What am I not asking but should be?

12 questions teachers should ask students

In 12 questions to ask students on their first day of term Teachthought suggest the following:

1. What do you love? What are you most proud of?

2. When are you at your best as a person? Student? Friend? Brother/sister?

3. How do you respond–emotionally, practically, etc.–when you’re challenged?

4. What do you need from me to be successful this year?

5. What does it mean to ‘understand’ something?

6. What should school ‘do’ for you?

7. What should you do with the things you know?

8. Are you a picky reader? What are your strengths as a reader (or ‘scientist’ or musician or mathematician, etc)?

9. Who are your heroes and why?

10. What do you want to learn about this year? What are you curious about? What can a person do with curiosity?

11. When are you most creative? Why do you think that might be?

12. What do you want me to know about you? What should I be asking you but I’m not?

Bonus: Do you think you’re a good student? A good learner? Is there a difference?

7 questions to ask your teaching team | colleagues

 In his blog David Geurin suggests the following future-driven questions to challenge us as educators. What are you doing with the autonomy you have? Are you pushing limits? Are you challenging the status quo? Are you creating extraordinary learning opportunities that prepare students for a complex, unpredictable world? Here are 5 Future Driven questions to think about with your team.

1. What will students need to thrive in a complex, unpredictable world? (addressing rapid change)

2. How can our school better meet the unique needs of today's kids? (kids are dealing with new issues/pressures)

3. How can we create a place where kids who resist school are empowered to love learning? (compliance vs. empowered learning)

4. Do teachers have the autonomy they need to create deeper learning? (teacher agency)

5. Do students have opportunities to pursue and explore their own questions? (inquiry)

6. Are students expected to create and innovate in your classroom? (critical thinking, problem-solving)

7. How are students helping others through what they're learning? (empathy, service)

What other future driven questions do you think are relevant for educators to discuss? It's amazing how questions can help us make the best decisions.

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