My beloved instructor( she-who-will-not-be-named) posed some interesting questions this week about the motives of teachers, and the power that is bestowed upon them. In that instant I was confronted with my own view of what is to be expected from those who educate me. I trust that those who teach me will plant positive seeds of knowledge that will blossom into a well-rounded, multifaceted understand of the subject material addressed in the lesson. But should I? I wish for my future students to trust in me in the same manner. But should I? One of the main reason i wish to teach is to get my students to question their world and form their own thoughts. Can I do that and still expect that same level of trust? It seems like a delicate balance between expecting that trust and encouraging the right to question. And what does that look like in a classroom? I think it starts with having mastery of content. your vision must be clear of what you want your students to learn, but be willing to be flexible in instructional styles as well as the actual content you provide. Another aspect to consider is encouraging your students to ask questions. I have always considered having answers as the measuring stick for knowledge. Consider this passage from The Critical Thinking Community(2011),
“Questions define tasks, express problems and delineate issues. Answers on the other hand, often signal a full stop in thought. Only when an answer generates a further question does thought continue its life as such. This is why it is true that only students who have questions are really thinking and learning. Moreover, the quality of the questions students ask determines the quality of the thinking they are doing. It is possible to give students an examination on any subject by just asking them to list all of the questions that they have about a subject, including all questions generated by their first list of questions. That we do not test students by asking them to list questions and explain their significance is again evidence of the privileged status we give to answers isolated from questions. That is, we ask questions only to get thought-stopping answers, not to generate further questions.”
I think we have all at some point discovered an answer to a question and felt a sense of accomplishment, or even finality to some degree. It’s interesting and perhaps even unnerving for someone to consider asking questions as expressing knowledge. How does that way of thinking relate to expectations or even assessment? I left having more questions than answers and I am curious to hear feedback on the matter.
The Role of Socratic Questioning in Thinking, Teaching, and Learning (2011). Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-role-of-socratic-questioning-in-thinking-teaching-learning/522
djohnson82 
I wonder if your understanding of “trust” needs some reimagining. I would worry about a definition that embeds in it following with your brain turned off. Questions are good, great even. It is critical that a teacher embraces questions and this act can lead to trust. But, trust should never come with the role.
I also wonder how your insights here connect with guidance strategies. Does this necessarily lead you to rethink a teacher’s power in the classroom? Do certain guidance approaches lead to more critical thinking?
And “she who will not be named?” Seriously? I am Voldermort now? 😉
Elie Weisel, Nobel Peace Prize winner, has said, “Questions bring us together; answers divide us.”
That’s not saying that answers do not matter, because they do matter, greatly. However, we can find great answers but to the wrong questions. Does this make sense? If we don’t ask the right questions, we won’t get anywhere.