Asking Good Questions
National School Reform Faculty
"A sudden, bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open." – Francis Bacon, early 17th century British philosopher
Asking a good question can be valuable in and of itself, irrespective of the answer. It communicates your respect for the other person. It is an expression of a deep belief in individuals’ capacity for making decisions about their own situations. The fullest commitment to a decision comes if you have made it yourself, with the help of supportive comments and good questions to pen up your thinking.
What will help us learn to phrase questions so that they don’t express judgment and they help people involved in disputes gain greater clarity about their own situations? Let's think about why we ask questions – to get information or to help someone make a decision.
The following resource links (PDFs) will help professional learning community participants ask "the good question" to facilitate improvement with instructional practice and student learning.