Managing March Behaviors with "Better" Questions

We've heard from teachers that students are antsy and testing limits, so it must be March, the longest teaching month.

A recent podcast and article by Dr. Angela Watson shared some wisdom that just might help with this. She asks us to consider how asking better questions of our students can garner better results.

In "The Power of Asking Better Questions," she shares that just by asking students who are off-task, "What should you be doing right now?" she enters into a productive discussion with students instead of a power struggle. Instead of asking, "What are you doing?" which is self-evident and likely annoying in some way, the teacher can ask a question that they might actually want the answer to. 

Seriously, how often has a student, when asked "Why are you pushing him?" delivered a satisfactory answer?

By training yourself to calmly prompt the student with a version of "What should you be doing right now?", you encourage the student to draw upon their executive skills: they have a moment to consider their choices, and often, a reminder to make a better one without shame or embarrassment. If the student replies with an answer that shows they know the directions, you could follow up with, "How can I help you get started?" or "Is there anything you are stuck on?" If, on the other hand, the student says, "I don't know," or names something outside the scope of your directions, then this provides you the opportunity to clarify or:

"bridge the gap between what [you] need the student to do and what the student feels they need to do. It gives some insight into what's distracting the student or causing them to make choices that aren't aligned with [your] expectations."

The examples of questions and their alternatives are all too relatable:

• "Why is your coat on the floor?" becomes, "Where should your coat be?"
• "Why aren't you on the right page of the textbook?" becomes "What page should you be on?"
• "Why is your cell phone out?" becomes "Where should your cell phone be right now?" 

Your sincerity and your acknowledgment of their control over the situation will yield a much more satisfactory response than the alternative. Really, you are shifting your mindset and giving students agency by reframing the question. 

So when you are feeling frustrated with student behavior, take a deep, calming breath, and sincerely ask the student a question that provides an opportunity to think about their choices and the expectations. 

What should you be doing right now?

It might take practice, or it might take a sticky note on your ID, but if you get in the habit of asking the better question, you will find you'll get a better response.