As someone who is keenly interested in all subjects of study, I have always thought of myself as a cross-curricular learner. I have many interests and enjoy looking at pieces of knowledge and processes from multiple perspectives. Throughout EDCI 787 I was able to refine the tools with which I can explore the world and pass on what I have learned to the students that I will teach. The key question that I felt was explored in this course was; what is a good question? The question is the most important tool a teacher has, and I am now better at asking them. Although I am not yet a master of the question, I am looking forward to developing these skills in the coming months and years. It is also interesting to see how these skills have developed and will continue to develop through lenses like Blooms’ Taxonomy. 

The thing I love about a good question is that it uncovers knowledge and builds confidence. Before starting the teacher education program I intuitively knew the power of a good question, but I did not consciously understand just how important a well-placed question is.  This experience came from coaching rowing and tutoring and working one on one with students. 

In my experience coaching rowing, I always asked my athletes a lot of questions. Questions like “Did that make the boat go faster?” or “Can you feel the difference in how much power you are applying?” These questions were key to showing them how to become better oarsmen and oarswomen. These leading questions made up the majority of my coaching practice, but there were deeper essential questions too. I frequently asked, “Why do you enjoy rowing?” or “What do you want to accomplish as an athlete?” These questions helped my athletes frame their training and allowed me to know when to push and when to be kind. It also informed me what kind of training sessions I did with them.

As a math and science tutor, I knew just giving my students the answer would not lead them to any deeper understanding. I asked them to show me how they got their answers instead of just confirming their guesses. Through leading questions like “Can you show me how you got your answer?” or “Is it the right answer?” The students were able to show me that they knew how to solve the problem. Many times students asked me “When will I ever use this?” My response was usually a probing question, like “What careers interest you?” More often than not I was able to link what they were learning to that job description, giving what we were doing context and meaning. 

These experiences gave me practice in asking good questions, but I was just fumbling around in the dark. I was doing what my teachers did with me or what I logically thought should be done. I did not know why what I was doing worked. 

Through Cross-Curricular Inquiry Strategies, I was able to give form to my intuitive practise of questioning. I learned the types of questions and where they should be used. I learned that not all questions are created equal and that everything needs to relate back to an essential, core question. This fits with what I was doing before as a coach and tutor but I still need practice. I have relished every opportunity to engage in analyzing, evaluating and creating my own questions.

Framing my teaching through an essential question has been an inspiration. In other courses in the education program, this idea has been reinforced through concepts like a rationale and the key question, “Why do my students need to know this?” I now think about essential questions in every part of my learning, although I still struggle to incorporate them properly.

After learning about so many types of questions I have developed some preferences. My favourite type of question is the hook. In science, it can be as simple as “What do you see happening?” This is the kind of question that is easiest for me to incorporate into my pedagogy. I find that they create a memorable and lasting impression on me that, similar to a good essential question, makes me dig deeper and find new questions.

For all of my interest in asking a good question I still have a long way to go. My progress follows Bloom’s Taxonomy. Over the past three months, I have learnt about the variety of questions there are to ask and understand how to differentiate between them. I can apply different types of questions in the proper context. I can analyze the types of questions and compare them to others being asked as well as evaluate them for quality. What I am not practiced at is creating great questions for my students.

All throughout my education, I have seen many educators ask great question after great question. It is my goal to become as good as they are in the art of posing queries. They are able to ask questions on the fly, allowing the class to go down enjoyable and meaningful tangents. They also are great at planning possible lines of inquiry that are simple and illuminating, allowing their students to generate an outline of what they are trying to show without explicitly giving them the topic. My teachers and mentors have shown me the importance of shining a light on what my students already know.

I want to answer the question I posed earlier, what is a good question? It is not a straightforward one. A good question depends on the context in which it is asked. An essential question is not always appropriate, nor is it a leading one. As I continue on my journey as an educator I will no doubt have more time to practice generating great questions of my own.