Try this to ask the better questions
This post is part of a series. The earlier posts are linked at the bottom of this post.
Now that we dug deep into being an Objector, how might you get started?
How about asking questions...asking better questions driven by your curiosity….
Over the years, I’ve learned that asking questions is a skill...and asking great questions...like those Trace and Shawn asked...takes practice.
So here’s a strategy from author Peter Block to help build your capacity and hone your skills for great questions….
...and starting with the right questions.
The idea here is about the importance of pursuing WHY questions before we pursue those HOW questions.
Let’s think about this for a second…
In our learning environments, what is the ratio of WHY questions to HOW questions? I don’t have any research on this specifically, but as the “doers,” we educators typically go right for the HOW.
How do we design better assessments?
How do I find outside experts for my kids to connect with?
How do I change my school?
How..
How..
How...
I know what you’re thinking: What’s so bad about those HOW questions?
Well, here’s Block’s thoughts…
Starting with HOW oversells the practical and avoids important conversations around WHY, WHAT IF…and WHAT MIGHT...
You see, starting with HOW locks us out of the possibility of interrogating and reframing the problem.
When we ask WHY, WHAT IF... or WHAT MIGHT first, we end up creating a focus for when we do get to the HOW.
We ensure we’re focused on the right things...
In other words, how we answer WHY, WHAT IF…, WHAT MIGHT... leads to a better HOW question.
So you first might direct that relentless curiosity toward questions that focus on WHY, WHAT IF…, WHAT MIGHT... .
A question like…
HOW do I change my school? Becomes…
WHY do I want to change my school?
WHAT IF we change….
WHAT MIGHT happen if we changed….
Then ask the HOW question and see how much more focused you and the work becomes….
HOW is going to seem safer; but WHY, WHAT IF…, WHAT MIGHT... they’re always wiser.
One last suggestion for uncovering those great questions….
Include your learners in being radically curious alongside you!
And see what questions you and they come up with...together!
We need to help our young learners become objectors as well. To become objectors alongside us.
To be curious…radically curious and to take action…regardless of their title..
The next post?
Inventing solutions….Be an Inventor.
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