Advice: asking students questions in class

[Varforinte]

I just got an email from two students telling me that they don't feel safe in my class because i ask them questions when they haven't raised their hands.

These are normally polite, but weak and pretty unmotivated kids. I teach maths, so the questions are pretty closed by the nature of the subject.

But it has made me think. This is the third child in the class - year 9 - that has said this. I actually thought that i was playing safe and only asking the ones who volunteered answers. I must have asked them each once to answer an unvolunteered question in the last few months. Although I think they notice me asking other kids (who appear to be happy to answer) and maybe it puts them on edge. But I have to otherwise it's just me droning on by myself.

I always considered questioning students an important form of formative assessment. I used try ask every student at least one question in a class to ensure engagement and for feedback. (Until I got lazy.) I always try to be aware of ability when choosing who to ask. Also I notice only the boys answer in this school and I want to increase participation with the girls.

But is it too stressful? On the other hand, are these students self-justifying retreating from hard content?

I am thinking how to handle this.

What are your SLT like? I'd refer onto them tbh.

I can completely understand why a few students might hate speaking out, but I would be concerned that there is some bandwagon jumping going on here.

There are so many valuable skills involved in answering questions.

Bonkers.
If you only get answers from those who volunteer you cannot usefully AfL.

Slt is most likely to side with the students. My head of department is pretty good. I will have to try to nip this in the bud.

Thanks for reassuring me that it is an important part of teaching and learning.

Mostly I was gobsmacked at being told that I wasn't to ask them questions and that they thought my lessons were unsafe.

Ha. No. Students trying that in my class would get short shrift! We literally wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we only took answers from volunteers while the others sat there passively.

I guess you could ask yourself how you respond to incorrect answers, or if you allow enough ‘thinking time’ before expecting answers, but I definitely wouldn’t stop directing questions to specific students.

No hands up.
Everyone answers questions on whiteboard (or tech if you have it) or through discussion with a partner then reporting back.
No opt out.
Schools should work on developing the culture of everyone taking part and respect for trying in the classroom.
You can't fail if you try, but you can fail to try (or whatever it is).
See Doug Lemov.

What Scarby said.

The odd kid who is clearly anxious and absolutely hates it I will overlook. Groups asking to not be included, no way.

A way round it is to make sure they know the answer. Eg when they've done questions, I often get students to read out a couple of their answers. Before you do this, chat to the pupil, tell them you're going to ask, tell them the answers are correct and build their confidence that way.

Unsafe because they’re asked questions? Has there been some PSHE lesson going on somewhere or a less-than-legitimate mental health session in formtime? Sounds very suspicious from three students, I think I’d be probing further where that vocabulary was coming from as it seems like a very odd thing for year 9s to use (and to feel ‘safe’ enough to say to a teacher).

But I may have my cynical old duffer hat on.

You're def right that questioning is a huge part of learning, but I think it's important to be conscious of the insecurities and anxieties that many, adults included, face when being put on the spot. If you sense a student is a bit anxious, you could go nearer to them when they're doing independent or group work and ask them a question a bit more privately, then if they answered correctly, 'you answered that so well, do you mind sharing with the class if I ask you again in a minute?'. This not only gives them the to prepare their answer but will help build confidence long term.

I always do hands down. The odd kid with known issues i might leave out but the rest should be prepared to answer. You do need to work on the culture that it is ok to be wrong.

What now? I wonder were this has come from.
We have pupils who we aren't supposed to ask to read - I think that is fair enough. I would ask an easy question that I knew they would get if unsure.
Are you sure they mean unsafe, rather than unable to daydream and switch off?

They feel 'unsafe' because they're worried they might actually have to concentrate.

With students who are nervous I usually work on building their confidence. So First let them know they got a question right in their books and then pick on them after- sometimes I even tell them this quietly First "you will be answering question 2, be ready"

Lots of praise when they do answer etc.

When someone gets something wrong we celebrate their mistake- maybe some carefully planned mistakes of your own.

Students can pass on a question but they know I will come back to them later. It is about culture, and I'd hate students to feel uncomfortable, there are other ways to check, but I think if you build their confidence they will be more comfortable.

I have heard of this on the Zoom classes where parents were emailing in not to ask their child a question as they didn't like it!! I think we have gone too much overboard with protecting our kids. Facing life situations is so important but there is a growing tendency to demand children be shielded from anything tough. As said it is different if a child suffers from acute anxiety.
I would find it weird to teach a class without asking questions as it keeps everyone involved, let's you know what's actually going in and gives opportunities for praise and encouragement. Some teachers keep lollipop sticks in a jar with the class names on and pull out a name at random but that might not be fair to just put them on the spot. My ds deliberately looked out the window so the teacher would think he wasn't listening as she never asked him believing he knew the answers and focused on others.
I wouldn't go along with this .

I'm a teacher and now understand the importance of asking questions for AfL, but as a student I hated being asked questions in class. I was in the top of most of my classes and knew the answer about 95% of the time, but I couldn't bare answering questions. I certainly did feel unsafe in classes where I knew I might be forced to answer a question on the spot. It would actually prevent me from learning because I'd be so anxious about being chosen to answer, that I couldn't focus on what I was supposed to be learning.

I wouldn't dismiss their concerns so easily.

It’s the use of the phrase ‘not feeling safe in the classroom’ from three separate students that makes me suspicious about their motivation - it’s a really odd phrase to use. I am not so curmudgeonly that I don’t recognise some students are uncomfortsble answering questions verbally but ‘unsafe’ seems very buzz-wordy

There's a line between being nervous about answering and being challenged and kept on your toes.
I'm not sure the solution for being anxious about answering is to not be asked anything. I think asking really straightforward questions or agreeing one beforehand would be better - a child anxious about answering in class will be anxious about speaking in tutorials in uni and speaking out in the workplace (aware I'm describing myself here!)
Nothing wrong with not being right all the time.
"Unsafe" seems used to shift the focus - instead of "I'm feeling really anxious about getting it wrong" it becomes "you are not supporting my needs enough and are making me suffer".

Random name generator for me, if the students don't have an answer I'll press them a little bit then throw it out to the class for support. Although I'll sometimes warn the students that I'm coming to then for a particular answer, give them time to form a response