ASK A LOGICAL QUESTION, SIS………………

The Power of Asking the Right Questions!

“Mumma! I am not going to talk to Bon now!” my daughter grumbled after a call with her cousin in Russia. 

“What happened, fought again?” I asked my routine question without even looking at her.

“Bon is younger to me, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, so?”  

“Still he said “Can’t you ask a logical question? How can he talk to me like this?”

Like this!! Means what? Though I heard her half-heartedly, continuing to write my mail, I could sense that something is wrong.  I dropped my work, held her closer and said, “Tell me the whole thing. I am unable to understand.” 

After the narration all I could make out was Bon, had asked Mia to play a guessing game- Twenty Questions, wherein he would think of an animal and she had to ask Twenty Questions (Too much for her!) to guess it and he would answer in a Yes or No. 

So??? I still couldn’t figure out the problem. But when she narrated the entire episode, I realised- She was asking questions for the sake of asking-without thinking!! This irritated the young boy, who was taught how to frame logical questions in the school, leading to the right guess and hence the comment! 

And then followed a conversation with my daughter which was an eye opener.  I realised she had no exposure as to why a question has to be logical and why in a game, someone has to be logical!!! 

I, being a teacher at heart couldn’t stop myself from getting into that “Teacher-Mode”. Though, it took me time but after a few examples, the logic of asking logical questions was clear to her. She had to be explained that everything connects. Was that difficult? 

This gave me the food for thought! No one teaches students to ask questions! Specially in school. Teachers ask questions and when they couldn’t find an answer, they themselves answer it. The students play this trick with teachers. They know that keeping mum for long, during a class of 40 minutes, will be the test of teachers’ patience and then s/he would answer on their behalf! Bingo! The job is done for them. No thinking done, again!

But here I am at a place where all this is done! My teachers teach my students how to ask LOGICAL Questions! And the curriculum supports my team with the right kind of methodology. We believe that when a teacher delivers her instructions clearly and is flexible and adaptable, the difference can be seen! 

We teach how to ask GOOD questions and also how each Logical Question may bring us closer to the answer. The students have to frame their own questions, though in the process, they do keep asking Questions for the sake of asking (Like Mia!) But when they ask right questions, they know what are they expected to learn. Thus, they take the ownership of their learning. 

The time, in asking questions, is - “invested” to find the answers. When the time is invested, they learn better and when they learn, they want to share the learning with all (like Bon, who had mastered the art of asking Logical Questions and wanted to showcase his learning with his siblings). 

They showcase their findings without hesitation and thus become the so called “Confident Children”, desired by all parents! Never realised that something we do on regular basis could bring such a drastic change in students! 

When Mia was explained as how each question whether it has a Yes or a No as an answer, is important and how asking a right or a logical question can lead her to a correct guess, she too got it and ……...that night Mia guessed 3 right answers, playing Twenty Questions with me, asking Logical Questions every time!! 

She had understood the Power of Asking Right Questions!

Best!

Swapna A. Aphale