Over the course of the past month, I have learned so much about asking questions and the importance of being curious and discovering. I have learned so much about myself as an educator, student and person over the past 4 weeks. I don't think I would've accomplished as much as I did without questioning. I asked questions to my instructors, classmates, local Irish people and branched out more than I could've imagined. I learned so many new tech tools, new software, learned how to create my own website and made countless friendships that I will cherish. I learned very quickly that my questions weren't silly, stupid or embarrassing, they were leading me to success, creation and discovery.
At the beginning of this experience, I was nervous to ask questions and go back to school. I have always loved learning but didn't know how to transition from being a teacher to a student again would be. I became used to always having the answers and always coming up with a solution or answer to every question. My thinking on this has changed over the past 4 weeks. I now know that it is important that we question the world around us. We shouldn't feel embarrassed or nervous to ask questions because we will learn and grow regardless. Many times when we are nervous about asking a question we think is obvious, others are thinking it as well. Kavanaugh explains in his article that asking stupid questions often leads to discovery of something that everyone is thinking, but no one is saying (Kavanaugh, 2003).
I want the students in my classroom to question the world around them and push to make changes. We grow when we are questioning the world around us and there really is no such thing as a stupid question. Questioning is proven to increase student confidence and allow them to develop socially and gain confidence. "Once you master these skills, you will immediately notice a positive difference in your students, a smoother flow of interactions, and more dynamic relationships in your classroom," (Pagliaro, 2011, p 6). Questioning also allows us to continue in the mindset of being a lifelong learner, or a lifelong kindergartener. It creates creative thinking and allows us to see situations from a new perspective.
Keep questioning and keep being curious about the world- you never know where a question can take you!
Blog Sources:
Kavanagh, J. (2003, June 3). IT professionals must learn the art of asking stupid questions. Computer Weekly
Marie Menna Pagliaro. (2011). Exemplary Classroom Questioning : Practices to Promote Thinking and Learning. R&L Education.
Creation Sources:
Chatterbox with Nakara Primary School: Why is an open and questioning mind important? (2018, June 19). Northern Territory News (Northern Territory, Australia)
Kavanagh, J. (2003, June 3). IT professionals must learn the art of asking stupid questions. Computer Weekly
Marie Menna Pagliaro. (2011). Exemplary Classroom Questioning : Practices to Promote Thinking and Learning. R&L Education.
National Research Council. 2000. "Learning and Transfer" Chapter 3 of How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9853.
Resnick, M., & Robinson, K. (2017). Lifelong kindergarten: Cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play.
Stroud International. (2021, March 22). Why asking stupid questions is the smartest thing to do. Stroud International. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.stroudinternational.com/articles/insights/capital-projects/asking-stupid-questions
Asking stupid questions is the intelligent thing to do. Simples. (2020, February 21). The Times (London, England).
“Who is the queen?” And other ways to get talking to strangers; Introvert Jessica Pan was advised to overcome her fear of talking to strangers by asking stupid questions. But would it work? (2017, December 2). The Guardian (London, England).
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