RECENTLY, a student of Grade 8 asked a few questions in a rapid sequence during a science lesson. Her mind was reeling and one question led to another. The questions were met, as they inevitably are, with suspicion, and the teacher retaliated with ‘don’t act too smart’. That rebuttal is flawed at many levels. Firstly, aren’t students being sent to school to become smart? Isn’t the purpose of all learning geared towards asking questions relentlessly to engage with content on a deeper level?

Unfortunately, our schools have always laid more emphasis on discipline and compliance than relentless learning. Any behaviour that breaks the flow of the teacher’s talk time is met with rebuke. It’s almost as if the teachers are racing against the clock to regurgitate what they know in each chapter of the textbook being taught.

Students cannot be involved in learning in depth, nor can they learn to answer questions if they don’t ask. Questions don’t arise in a vacuum; they are the result of a thinking mind. Fostering a culture where questions are encouraged and appreciated helps instil a love for learning in students. It teaches them that curiosity is a strength and that questions demonstrate critical thinking.

This mindset is........

© Dawn