Using Questions More Effectively & How to Respond to Wrong Answers Without 'Discouraging' Students

A common question teachers/folk ask is how do you respond when students give incorrect answers during a lesson/discussion without discouraging them. A common suggestion is to people suggest is along the lines of  'That's a good answer, anybody else?'. Now, that is obviously not a very good way of helping your learners grow. Although we don't want to discourage our students, above all else, you should never lie to them that they are right/correct when they are not. They lose trust in our guidance.

One thing to not do is say nothing. You have to give students some form of feedback, otherwise there's no point in asking questions or holding class discussions. There are ways you can be honest and as well as encouraging; ways that don't involve shutting them down but also not making them feel they are correct when they clearly are not.

1. First things first, have a goal in mind for the questions you ask in class. Is it to check understanding, is it to probe further on a student's thread of thinking to mine for useful learning points for the student or the rest of the class? Always have an objective in mind.

2. When you ask questions don't pick the first hand that goes up, give all students ample time to process the question, you can add further commentary that may help specific students make a connection to the question. 

3. Ask other students why they agree or disagree with a particular response - this way learning flows in multiple directions. That way it feels less like punishment/judgement from the 'teacher'. 

4. When a student's answer is incorrect think about an area in the curriculum or elsewhere where there response would be a worthy consideration/approach.

Give your students ample opportunity to feel praised for their effort and this can come from any of the three domains of learning - cognitive, affective & psychomotor (more on this later). This means as an educator you have to be a praise detective of sorts. For instance, you're walking around during lunch, you observe a student helping stop a fight or you notice great sportsmanship demonstrated by one of your students. Find a way of making them feel praised. That way you get to have the opportunity to give them genuine praise but also now it's not as harsh when you evaluate a response they give in class as insufficient.

Every learner is a unique and evolving individual - to treating them as such takes a multi-variate approach. Learners need an optimal blend of encouragement and guidance. There are always many factors at play when looking at your students. Part of being of most service to your students is to deal with them as individuals, each with a complex mix of strengths, weaknesses, family and community life, beliefs etc.  

Also you have to be careful not to 'dethrone' students. Students tend to feel very personal about their 'status' in terms of being correct compared to their peers. You should be just as careful with your highest performers as you are with students struggling in a particular area of learning.

What are your thoughts on this important matter?

Have a great week...