Why You Should STOP Asking Questions in the Classroom

Task Don't Ask

Picture this. You're in front of your classroom teaching a reading lesson. You've just read a passage and you ask your students, "who can tell me what the main idea of this paragraph is?" You do the correct thing, and give ample wait time. After 5-7 seconds, you see 5 hands in the air. You call on one of those hands, and get the answer. Success. Or is it? How many students were actually engaged? In a class of 30, if 5 students raise their hand you are looking at about a 16% engagement rate. Only 16% of your class was actively thinking about what you were saying. Yikes.

Now picture this. Instead of asking that question, you try something like this. "Everyone turn to your partner and tell them what a main idea is- go!" ..... "Shout out the definition of main idea in your best opera voice!" "Great, now that we know main idea is a one sentence summary. I want everyone to get their highlighter and highlight the main idea of this passage. I'll know you're done when you're holding your highlighter is in the air. GO!"

Do you see the difference? In the first example, there isn't any accountability for your students to actually think. You ask a question, and you make it optional for the students to think and respond. On the contrary, in example 2 you're activating their brains, and tasking them so that EVERY student is required to think and act. Now THAT is active learning.

Tasking Leads to Higher Student Engagement

While that is reason enough to be tasking all the time, there are other reasons why you'd want to task.

1. Higher engagement rate of your students
2. Higher engagement rate = higher learning rate
3. Higher engagement rate = less behaviors

Engagement IS management. The more a student is engaged in the activity and/or lesson then the less likely they are to be misbehaving. Because of that, we want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to engage our students. Tasking is the simplest way to do that. Tasking keeps students on their toes. They do not always know when the next task will be stated. Tasking requires that they listen and listen intently so that they know the expectation.

Engagement IS management.

Just like any good teaching practice, tasking is a skill. It can be learned. However there is a learning curve. When you're in front of your class teaching about a certain topic, it can be difficult to switch gears and come up with different ways to task right on the spot. You may have a few that you use constantly like:

-thumbs up/thumbs down

-write it on your whiteboard

-turn to your neighbor

-shout it out

These are excellent! But to really keep the engagement high, we need to be changing up our tasks. That's why I like to have a list of 50 Ways to Task printed off and easily accessible from my most taught from areas. This list is perfect to hang up on your whiteboard, laminate and keep on your desk, put next to your document camera, etc. If you have this ready, then you don't have to think about it! Just glance at the list and choose what tasking idea works best for your lesson OR if you're new to tasking, just pick 1 way to task each day and utilize it throughout the day.

These Reviews Speak for Themselves

I am not the only one that has experienced the goodness of tasking. Look at what these fellow teachers have said once they started tasking in their classroom.

Shawna S. “This is such a simple and amazing resource. I have been trying to find different ways to increase student engagement and this fits the bill perfectly. I laminated my sheets and can quickly scan the list before a lesson to plan out which way I will "task" them. It really has increased the number of students that are engaged and participating. Thank you!”

Alison A. “I have been using this resource to engage all of my students in the classroom. The engagement has gone up and I can see all students participating, not just waiting for another classmate to answer! I love the different ideas too so that I can switch up my tasks and not just rely on the same few I always use.”

Tabitha R. “This is changing my classroom for the better! By tasking instead of asking, I am able to keep my students engaged! I can't thank you enough for this information!”

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Unlocking Classroom Engagement: The Power of Tasking Over Questioning

In conclusion, the difference between merely teaching and actively engaging your students lies in the power of tasking. The scenario of raising hands versus encouraging lively, accountable participation paints a vivid picture of why tasking is an essential tool in every educator's kit. Not only does it boost engagement rates, but it also fosters a more productive learning environment and helps manage disruptive behaviors. Engagement, as it turns out, is synonymous with classroom management. While becoming a proficient taskmaster may take some time, the benefits far outweigh the learning curve. The key is to keep changing up your tasking techniques, and having a list of 50 Ways to Task readily available is a game-changer. By incorporating these strategies, you're not only keeping your students on their toes but also ensuring that learning remains an active and dynamic process in your classroom. So, go ahead, embrace the power of tasking and watch your students flourish in the engaging world of active learning.

What are you waiting for? For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can change your classroom for the better! Increase engagement without any prep, turn your students brains ON, and manage behaviors by engaging your students in what you're teaching. Remember TASK don't ASK!

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