Questions from Students
As prepared as a lecturer may be for the podium, he/she may receive a question (related to lesson content) in which they don't quite know the answer to. What's the best way to handle this type of situation?
Be honest. I explain that I am always learning and sometimes I need to ask questions. I believe that a person can't know everything, but sd long sd they know where they can find it works. Don;t be afraid to tell them you aren't sure.
Barbara,
There a several ways this can be handled. One, turn the question back to the class to see if any of the other students know the answer. This gives all classes members a chance to contribute. If no one knows then you can have the students research the answer and bring it to class the next time. Also, you can tell the class that you do not know the answer but you will research it and bring the answer to the next class. There is no problem in admitting that you don't know because we just can't know everything about our field no matter how much experience we have had.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Courtney,
Good advice for instructors to follow. We all need to be life long learners and when we don't know something admit it, learn about it and benefit from our growth. This is a win win form of professional development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree. Afer many years in my Profession, there are things I still do not know. What I do stress is the importance of being able to FIND the answer.
I think it is important to set a tone of honesty in the classroom. If a student asks a question and you truly do not know the answer you should comment with, "that is a great question, I will have to research and get back to you on the answer."
Our classroom is a learning environment and in some cases students and teachers learn together.
Amanda,
Well said in relation to responding to student questions. We cannot possibly know the answers to all of the questions asked in our respective fields but with the response you listed we can supply the answers upon doing some research. When I get a challenging question I will often make finding the answer to it a part of the students' homework for the next class. That way we all our learning plus it reduces the number of questions asked by students that are trying to stump me or just throw the class off track.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that this is the most important part of teaching. The student should not rely on the instructor for all the answers. I always tell my students that it is important to be able to find answers no matter what the situation. They often ask questions but I always show them how to find the answer. I never tell them the answer.
What a great subject, it was my fear for a long time that I will lose the respect of the students if I didn't know the answer to a question right away. Now, I understand how to react to the situation in a professional manner.
Tasheema,
You approach will increase the content retention of your students because they will remember having had to research and find the answer to their question. With guided effort they can acquire the needed knowledge while expanding their critical thinking skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
GERAR,
Great to hear. Keep up the good work and value you have in influencing the lives of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Being able to know how to search for the answer is especially important in the class that I am teaching right now. If I don't know the answer, we typically will search for the answer together as a class, or just the student any myself; one on one. Students need to know that the profession is a process and there is no one correct way to look for the answer.
Erin,
Good strategy to follow. By having students do this research along with your own research to find the answers to questions raised they will retain the information at a much higher rate since they had to work for them. This increases the value of those answers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am the first to admit I don't know the answer, so giving the students a chance to contribute with their answer (even if they have to look it up) boosts their confidence. I encourage classroom participation.
Debbie,
This should be a trait of an instructor. When we don't know say so. Then together (students and instructor) can research and come up with the answers. This increases the value of the answers because they were searched out rather than just given to them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
