Mike’s Blog
Strategies, Ideas and Insights for Teachers and Leaders
Tag: effective questioning
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A pair of questioning activities that change how the game is played and ask learners to think from a completely different perspective
If this is the answer, what might be the question? This activity is good to use at the start of lessons. It is engaging, pacey and affords learners a high…
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Two simple questioning activities with universal appeal for learners of all ages
Who Am I? This is a very simple game which is also a lot of fun. It works as follows: The class is divided into groups of two or three.…
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Bring the Apprentice into your classroom with the Big Pitch questioning activity, or turn your focus to the deeper, more profound aspects of philosophical questioning
The Big Pitch Divide learners into groups of four. One of these groups is designated the ‘executive board’. The rest of the groups, the pitchers, are set a problem for…
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A questioning activity that is pure Sherlock Holmes and a second that takes learners on a journey from easy to (fiendishly) difficult
Detective Inspectors Divide the class into groups of three. Give each group a number (you might want to make this really clear by printing large numbers on sheets of paper…
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One questioning activity that channels the power of the courts, and a second that takes its inspiration from the world of journalism
Cross-Examination Learners are divided into groups of four. One member of each group is designated as a cross-examiner. The cross-examiners leave their groups and stand at the front of the…
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Serial questioning: why one thing usually follows another, and what that means for you and your learners
Questions often come in a series during a lesson. Examples of this include when the teacher is questioning learners one-on-one, when they are leading a discussion or when they set…
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Four ways to turn the questioning tables and have your learners develop questions for you
Make it clear to pupils that you welcome their questions. Provide a variety of routes by which they might ask you questions. Three such routes are: putting your hand up,…
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Using questions to draw out and develop reasoning (and five strategies any teacher can use to achieve this)
Reasoning is central to education. It underpins almost the entire curriculum. It is a tool that is integral to our understanding of the world and of our own selves. If…
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Five powerful strategies expert teachers use to practice exam-style questions with their learners
Practicing exam-style questions is one of the key steps to assessment success. Here are five activities you can use with your students. Give every pupil a slip of paper and…
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A ten-step recipe for developing enquiry questions you can use to drive learning and generate engagement
Enquiry-based learning is a powerful approach to pedagogy that is frequently engaging and motivating for students. As a result, it often leads to deep learning – that is, learning in…