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Keep Asking Why (159/365)

What problem will you be part of solving in your lifetime?

I pose this question to adolescents each school year.


The responses gives me hope for the future. And the occasional blank stares haunt me, leaving me to wonder how well schools prepare students to think, outside of school.


“You don’t learn unless you question.”

Berger notes the significant decline in the number of questions a child under the age of five asks, in comparison to that of a student in middle school. Noting the patterns in motivation, he wonders whether motivation is the cause of the decline in questioning, or the effect.

To promote a classroom culture in which questioning is valued and can thrive, I suggest the following.





DAILY: Start and end each lesson, having students pose an “I Wonder” question in a Google Form or Doc.


WEEKLY: Utilize two-sided journals between two student partners, in which they build on one another’s learning with a question.


ONGOING: Tap into students’ curiosity and problem-solving capabilities, using a design thinking model. When adults demonstrate a willingness to engage adolescents’ natural curiosity, the outcome will be better questions and problem-solving that transcends school.



Be Like Hank (157/365)



Click here to visit the Learning Leadership 365 site, where you may read all posts I've written.

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