Always asking questions

Always asking questions. That's how children learn. They wonder about something and ask a question. Why is the sky blue? Where did I come from? (Are we there yet?) Parents of small children will tell you that sometimes, the incessant 'why?' questions their kids ask drive them mad. When children arrive at the school gates, do teachers encourage them to keep asking questions? Hopefully, in most cases, the entire experience is about asking questions. But the curriculum often militates against good question times. It is so stuffed full of unnecessary content, there is far too little time left for teachers to help children to frame their questions. They must make time, because the bloated curriculum shows no signs of going away just yet. Questioning is far too important to gloss over or push into a corner. Give the kids time to ask questions.

We should be wary about giving too many easy answers though. If you have to give answers, give ones that prompt more questions. As the author Nancy Willard once said: 'Sometimes questions are more important than answers.' Teachers also need to listen closely to children's questions. A misunderstood question can lead to answers that are damaging. Take a read of this account on Pay Attention at the Front.

What about when we grow older? Do we still continue to ask questions? Often, we have learnt that asking questions can sometimes be socially unacceptable. We may have learnt from bad experiences that asking questions can make us look stupid. 'I know this is a stupid question, but...' we start, apologetically ... when we can actually summon up the courage to externalise our doubts about something. Lack of knowledge isn't stupidity. Not asking the question when you have the chance - that's stupidity. The old Chinese proverb says: He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question is a fool forever. I usually give plenty of time for questions and dialogue during my lectures, presentations and workshops, whoever the audience is. It gives time for everyone to assimilate new things and to consolidate their understanding. Who cares if there are arguments or disagreements? That is all part of the (dialectical) process of learning.

I decided many years after bad experiences in school, where some teachers ignored or ridiculed my questions, that I would redress the balance. I took a conscious decision to force myself to ask questions, because I was tired of listening to presentations and then going away without clarification on the finer points. I didn't want to stay ignorant one moment longer. Now, when I sit in a public presentation, and I don't understand something the speaker has said, I ask them to elaborate. It's not a sign of weakness to say you don't understand. The sign of weakness is not asking the question you should have asked. As I have gained confidence, I have discovered that arguing with others, can open up and challenge ideas and help everyone to form their own deeper knowledge of the field. I have even been known to conspire with speakers beforehand to publicly challenge them and ask controversial questions during plenary sessions. It can certainly liven up a discussion.

'Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning' - Albert Einstein.

Image source by Mark Klotz


Always asking questions by Steve Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.