017: How to Respond to Questions From Elementary Children

Trillium Montessori Talks

Have you ever been stumped by a student’s question? As children grow and learn, their questions get more complex and difficult to answer. How you respond–or don’t respond–to these hard questions is telling of your confidence as a teacher, and it’s an opportunity for you to model humility and curiosity for your students.

In this episode, we’re sharing some techniques for responding to students’ questions when you aren’t confident in your answer. We’re explaining how question asking plays into childrens’ development and helps them build confidence. Plus, we’re sharing some ways you shouldn’t respond to a student’s repetitive questions.

What’s in this episode:

• How asking questions fits into a child’s phases of development
• Why we get uncomfortable when we can’t answer a child’s question
• How to respond to student’s questions when you aren’t sure of the answer
• How your tone when responding to questions can affect the child’s confidence
• Why it’s important to help children realize that they can ask questions of their peers, not just their instructors
• How delegating questions can help you avoid burnout and frustration
• Why it’s sometimes helpful to not provide the answer but instead to encourage self-education
• How some students use repeated questions as a way to connect
• How to provide a brief, succinct answer that will encourage students to seek more information themselves
• Which responses you should eliminate from your teaching repertoire

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit https://www.trilliummontessori.org/how-to-respond-to-questions-from-elementary-children/

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

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