Scott reflects on this week's questioning twilight session


The twilight sessions are a great way of enhancing our learning, each week that we take part there are different focuses for the session. I have found these to be an excellent source of 'bright spots' and 'quick wins' to be able to take away to my own planning and delivering of lessons in the future, and especially being able to discuss ideas that we may have picked up on in schools. Indeed, I love a good ‘Think-Pair-Share!’ and sharing this with the group and hearing that some had never seen such a method- thanks to my former Media Studies teacher, Mrs Spalding (who was Head of English when I went to school) I became fully versed in them and make use of them regularly.

This week’s topic was ‘Questioning’ as Socrates would dub is a “part of the art of teaching”. I found this session be a real eye opener, starting with the hard-hitting facts, did you know that on average, the Teacher will ask 400 questions a day? 400- Almost as many as the number of Roast Potatoes that I have consumed. Why is that relevant? Because it’s a LOT!

Our Hub Lead, Adam taught this session, it was great to see Adam discussing the fact that on average teachers may only leave one second between asking a question, and then expecting a response (and would you believe it, we actually had a session with Matt and Jamie at Nottingham Trent University about Behaviourist theories in education).

Skinner's idea of “…the lapse of only a few seconds between response and reinforcement destroys most of the effect” would agree with this- I'd disagree, a child needs time to construct an answer, more so for those who may be of lower ability, as to expect an instant response would be akin to a sensory overload. It’s responses like this that are developed from the open forum that Redhill’s Twilight Sessions have to offer, I’m really enjoying my time with the Redhill TSA’s SCITT and can’t wait to start leading my first full lessons very soon.

Scott Cartwright, English trainee

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