RESPONSES TO STUDENTS

Look again at the responses and your comments on them.

No 1: If an answer to a closed question is wrong, try to say more than just, “No”, especially if it is nearly right. Piston is near to piston ring, so you could respond, “No, not quite. Can you try again? Piston what?”

No 2: On the other hand, if an answer is definitely wrong, you must say so politely: “No, sorry”. This teacher says “Could be” when it clearly could not be! This may confuse all students!

No 3: Here the teacher rejects quite reasonable answers to an open question. They simply wait for the one they want. The students are just playing a guessing game to find out what the teacher is thinking. The open question is no longer open!

No 4: The teacher accepts the first answer, but asks the same student to give reasons, thus starting a dialogue between student and teacher. The teacher then asks another student to comment on the first student’s answer, thus starting exchanges between students. The teacher continues to do this, and turns it almost into a discussion, in which more and more students can be involved. The last question opens discussion further. Students are thinking for themselves and a number are becoming involved. Notice the last question in No 2 does the same thing.

Guidelines for responses

1. Try to say more than “yes” or “no”.

2. Be truthful if the answer is wrong.

3. Try to turn an answer into a further question, or ask students to give reasons for their answer.

4. Accept all reasonable answers to open questions, not just those you planned for e.g. betel nut is a very reasonable, if unexpected, answer, and can stimulate discussion.

5. One way of accepting ideas is to write them on the blackboard as they are given. Try to write as close as possible to the students’ actual words, rather than turning them into your own words.