Asking the "Right" Questions, especially in regards to Literature

I teach high school English and I often find myself leading the discussions of literature. When I pose a question in class, it seems like even if I give the students wait time, they still don't voice their opinions / ideas. One of the reasons I loved English classes so much, especially in college, is the discussions and even disagreements that the class would have over a piece of literature.

I really feel like if I was just asking the right kinds of questions, maybe a little more philosophical in nature, maybe my students would be more likely to get involved. Does anyone have any good strategies for asking questions, specifically with literature?

Also, do you utilize Marzano's instructional strategy, "Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers"? What can you tell me about it? Was it an effective strategy? I already incorporate graphic organizers, but what about cues & questions???

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Permalink Reply by Mathew Needleman on June 17, 2011 at 7:04am

As I was trained, you want to ask questions that you really want to know the answer to. A bad question is one you already have the "right" answer to in your mind. A good question is one that is open-ended and you, as the teacher, is sincerely curious about.

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Permalink Reply by Erin VanDeWalle on June 20, 2011 at 7:40am

Mathew -

Thank you for your response. As a student, I often found myself being the first to raise my hand to offer a response. As a result, I guess I didn't pay too much attention to what motivated the other students to be more willing to speak up, or how the teacher accomplished the task. This might require a little training on my part though...I tend to think ahead for a "right" answer. Thanks for the advice.

Are you also a high school English teacher?