Uninspiring Guiding Question
Mr. C's concern:
Guiding questions fell flat with the students...
"I tried using a guiding question once, but it fell flat with my students, so now I’m just more straightforward with starting the goals of my instruction. Now I focus a lot on cause and effect."
Why is this happening?
Most likely, this teacher created a question that is a straightforward idea that does not demand much thought from students and could be answered easily in one or two lessons. It is important for the guiding question to be an overarching question for the entire unit. A high-quality guiding question fosters active thinking and discussion. It should be open-ended with multiple possible solutions so that students are compelled to dig deeper and engage in text-based discussion.
The section below is in development. Please check back soon.
Addressing Mr. C's concern:
How might teachers workshop this dilemma?
Mr. C describes the scenario in more detail to his colleagues:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
- Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
- Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Ideas offered by colleagues:
Lorem 1
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Lorem 2
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Lorem 3
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Which teacher move would you try?
A Coach's Comments:
It is important for the guiding question to be an overarching question for the entire unit. A high-quality guiding question is multi-faceted and abstract, with no one clearcut answer. A unit-level
guiding question is a catalyst for discussions throughout the unit that foster active thinking, compelling students to dig deeper and engage in discussion. For example, instead of asking “What were the causes of the American Revolution?” it would be better to ask, “To what extent was the American Revolution a revolution for all the people living in the colonies?”
Learn more about Lorem.
Download Lorem.