Ask Marian

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.

Transcript
I was talking to a group of teachers recently, and one of them said to me that when she, in her Grade 2 class with seven-year-olds, uses what I often call understanding questions or conceptual questions, as opposed to more procedural questions, the kids are not happy. They just want the kind of question like, “What is 5 + 2?” And so she said, “Why is that? Are my kids like other kids? What can I do about it?” and so on. And I think that’s a very important kind of question that she asked.

A lot of what students say in response to a question or how they react has to do with what they’re used to. So, if students are used to questions where you’re really just finding out if they already know something, and so often the response is quite quick, they might start to believe those are the normal math questions, and that’s what they’re supposed to do. And then when you ask a question that’s not that kind, it feels off and they’re reluctant to respond.

So, I think part of what we can do as teachers is to do a better balance of questions and just quickly assess what a student already knows and questions where we really expect them to stop for a while and think for a while and then respond. When those second kind of questions become more, I’m going to call it “normal” to kids, I think they’re going to be more willing to respond. I think often kids are not willing if the questions don’t feel what I would call “normal” to them.