Cut Down on Classroom Questions

How do I log in to IXL? Why isn't my user name working? Can you help me type this link? I can't find 'synonym' in the dictionary? 

How many questions do you think we teachers get asked a day? A hundred? A thousand? A million?

Pretty sure it is at least a million. And it's tiring.

I needed a way to kill some of the questions, so that I could at least try and get to new materials instead of telling Susie how to log into Google Classroom for the fifteenth time that day.

Two words. Say it with me.

Student. Experts.

Ooooh, aahhhh.

Student experts are students who volunteer their expertise to help the classroom run more smoothly. How do they know who the experts are? A handy dandy anchor chart of course. I used sticky notes to make it easy to add to, remove, or change out experts. You could have any number of categories, websites, topics, or assignments!

   

Google classroom? Dictionary skills? Computer troubleshooting? You've got an expert for that on your roll sheet.

The Question Process in My Room 
  1. Struggle on Your Own: This is where we learn
  2. Use your resources: Check your notes, reread instructions, use tech or the dictionary
  3. Ask a Student Expert: Find a student that's familiar with what you're struggling with, and ask away. 
  4. Write your name on the question board. Still need help? Write your name, begin something else productive, wait for the teacher to come to you.


Is the system perfect? No. Mostly because of me. Did it make life easier? Yes. Are they a little more independent? Yes. Are they still asking a ton of questions? Yes. Did they prepare us for the onslaught of questions in college? No. No they did not. 

Happy Teaching!


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