Right is right in a primary classroom
Questioning is a common feature of classroom teaching. Brualdi’s (1998) research suggests that many teachers ask more than 300 questions per day! In order to support our pupils’ progress, we need to think carefully about the way that we construct and use questions in the classroom.
In this clip, we see a teacher maintain high expectations in the classroom through their use of the ‘Right is right’ strategy (Lemov 2015) during questioning. This strategy means that incomplete or partially correct answers are not accepted straight away. Instead, pupils are prompted to complete the answer by being asked to re-phrase or develop the original response.
As you watch this video of classroom practice from West Monkton School, you’ll be provided with a series of prompts and pauses for reflection throughout. Use these prompts individually, or with colleagues, to contemplate the teacher’s practice.
Once you’ve watched the video, take some time to reflect on what the teacher has done, how they’ve done it, what they might have done differently, and how this might influence your own practice whether you’re establishing or revisiting your questioning approaches.
References
Brualdi A (1998) Classroom questions. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation. 6(6) Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol6/iss1/6/ (accessed 07 January 2020)
Lemov D (2015) Teach Like a Champion 2.0 – 62 Techniques that put students on the path to college. Jossey-Bass. USA
