Questioning /discussion is one of the most interesting ways to teach and when used well allows an instructor to personalize class meetings to the group on a session-by-session basis. I have two methods that I use frequently to draw students into questions: observation and acknowledging experience. Watching and listening to your students before class, on breaks, and during discussions offers a great means to prepare questions that key into the interests of the students. I observe my students and try to establish what they talk about with each other as a means of focusing questions that will spark their interest in the subject. Keying on anything that they are abuzz about can offer an opening to get students involved, it insures that the student’s interests are validated, and the students are more likely to answer because they are inside of their comfort zone. This is even better facilitated when I start the discussion process by asking one or two questions that the majority of the class can relate to such as” how many of you have seen/experienced/ met/etc…”; if you can get them to raise their hands they have started the participation process. Once students have taken that first step, the questions can pull them deeper into the subject and expand their interest.