USING EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING WITH PERFORMERS AND LEADERS
Using effective questioning with performers and leaders
What is effective questioning? How do I do it? When should I question in my sessions?
Effective Questioning
Why do we ask questions in Physical Education activities? To find answers... To guide participants... To process thinking... There's a number of reasons I'm sure. What we find is the most effective ways of questioning is to steer conversation with participants into a discussion, using questions to help them find their own answers. The ability to listen as a coach or teach is very important, we can ask question after question but we must listen to their responses to hit the most effective way of questioning. Open-Ended questions can begin your discussion with participants, you then listen to their response, continue to summarise the discussion, highlight goals by then asking more questions. So maybe 'Effective Questioning' could be seen as a coaching process all on its own.
Finding the balance
Is there such ability to ask the right question at the right time? This ability is something you can only work towards perfecting with experience but a coach must question themselves every time they teach, are you over bombarding participants with questions. We ask questions to find answers, but too many questions could disengage, lower morality and frustrate your participants. On the other hand not asking enough question could make your own job of discovering participants comprehension of the success criteria, also hard to place your participants in the proximal zone of development without asking question. So we have to find the balance, discover the correct timing to ask questions and develop your "Coaching eye" (More resources on this found at the bottom).
Phrasing
We've discussed why we might ask a question, we've also discussed when we might ask a question and now we'll think about what the question may be. An incredibly important part of questioning is how we phrase questions. A goal is to open discussion and to guide students, the most common mistake I witness is the phasing of questions, which eliminate all other students from being involved in the teaching. When teaching PE or Sport we never want to have participants stood waiting for their turn in the activity we plan to have people active for a long as we possibly can, so why would we want this to happen in our questioning? Obviously this applies to whole class interventions. We want to ask questions that engage all or as many as we possibly can and this can simply come down to how we phrase the questions we are asking. There is a great video in the resources part of the blog labeled strategies.
The Sports Crew Update
The children are being challenged, to keep children attending their club, keep them active but recently more challenges have come their way. We are in Winter, which means they are going to have children who might not be as keen to be involved in the cold and windy climate. They've also had the challenge of leading their own games, a bowling season has begun, each week a new bowling game for the Sports Crew to lead but also for the younger children to enjoy but again its winter which means leaves are falling from the trees and covering the astro-turf making it difficult to play games but also a health and safety issue for the club.
Each week the leaves are being brushed a side but maybe the challenges are becoming too much for the children to mange. The children have done brilliantly well so far, but for us at JCPE we are at a stage now to help the MDA staff on how to support the children to keep this good form going.
This is where "Effective Questioning" can become vital, each week I attend the school I observe the club, engage with activities and offer my thoughts to the children. At the end of each session, I call the leaders in for a little discussion and 90% of our discussion is myself asking questions and guiding the children to reflect on the club. I try my best to not intervene at all while the club is operational and only discuss problems and praises at the end of the club. This I feel keeps activity moving, allows children time to reflect and most importantly allows the leaders be leaders, it's their club and it's ok to get it wrong as long as you question it and try to find the answer of how to improve.
Each week the leaves are being brushed a side but maybe the challenges are becoming too much for the children to mange. The children have done brilliantly well so far, but for us at JCPE we are at a stage now to help the MDA staff on how to support the children to keep this good form going.
Resources
http://www.amandadudman.co.uk/blog/2018/3/16/effective-questioning-in-coaching-and-mentoring (Effective questioning description)
(The Coaching eye)
(4 steps to effect questioning)
This last resource is a QUESTION because I find it very interesting, What Makes a good teacher, great? Find the answer below.
(What makes a good teacher, great?)
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