No rabbit in a hat is necessary to create magic that stays with students for years. Just ask your students what they remember from last year. You’ll get a lot of deer in the headlights stares. Why? Because you asked a question that put them into a stress response. Under stress, we can’t remember our names. Passive instruction, in which students listen to a teacher, do worksheets, and take tests, does not create strong long-term memories. The students will forget 90% of what they learn each year, unless, they have asked questions for which they search for answers.

Set the tone for a year of questions the first day.

After the welcome session, a tour of the bathrooms and drinking fountains or filling stations, ask students to take a few minutes to think of some questions they might have as they sit in this new classroom. Play some classical music, and give them time to write their questions down. Let them know that the first thing they will do in the mornings will be to pose questions they hope to get answered that day or questions they had from the lessons the days before. Teachers will learn so much about them. Some children will feel reluctant to ask anything until we celebrate questions. Beware of feeling threatened by their questions. My student became very good after a while of asking questions for which I had no answers. That’s when the real magic happens. The first time this happened to me, I turned it to the class to get their ideas about how to answer it. The answers offered were so incredible, I stopped answer the questions. Of course, there were times when I knew the answer offered was off track. So instead of humiliating the student, I asked the class to research the possible answers and report back as to what they found. The student could admit that he/she discovered the answer offered was not correct, but learned the more appropriate answer. It made teaching so much fun and resulted in the students remember everything they questioned.

There are no stupid questions, even though teachers may feel some of them are. Those questions will tell you so much about the students asking them. Thank them for their answer and continue to ask for other’s opinions. Don’t take a stand on either, but allow students to draw their own conclusions and follow-up with research.

I encourage teachers to write the questions on the board without showing any emotion connected to any of them. Ask how many students have the same questions. Tally the questions, in order to answer the question that concerns the greatest number of students. Listen to each questions with only replies such as: “That’s interesting, can you tell us more about your question?” “Please be more more specific.” “I’m glad you asked that question, I have never heard it before. I can tell this will be an interesting year with such great question askers.” Some questions will require further private questioning. One boy asked, “What if I look out the window and you think I am cheating on someone else’s test, what will happen?” Privately, I asked, “Did this happen to you before?” Some children have had things happen to them or they have witnessed incidents that have happened to other classmates and they worry it will happen to them.

I can guarantee you will get one jokester who asks one of those questions that results in laughter. Don’t show irritation. That child may be the next Robin Williams. They be the one that gets motivated to complete work on time by offering a 15 minute “Make Me Laugh” sessions on Friday at the end of the day. You’ll get the academic students whose questions are formed in such a way indicating they want everyone in the class to know how smart they are. It’s a cover-up for issues that need further investigation. Questions regarding when recess is my indicate a student who needs to move. Homework questions can indicate students with busy after school schedules or they have had homework challenges in the past. Some questions will indicate fears, anxiety, or curiosity.

List the areas of study for your grade level on the board. Ask the students what they wonder about these subjects Explain that you are supposed to cover this curriculum. Some may interest them or not. Your questions will determine how interesting you can make the lessons.