Ask Lots of Questions

New teachers are often afraid to ask questions. Said a new teacher, “I have so many questions, but I don’t know whom to ask. I’m afraid to look stupid, so I can’t ask other teachers. They’ll probably think I should know these things. Then my reputation will suffer. But I need answers!” Sadly, this is a very typical concern of new teachers. They’re afraid to ask, for fear of appearing incompetent. This is what they do not yet know:

• Teaching is not an exact science, so all teachers should remain in a state of questioning.
• Teachers, in general, are more than willing to share their techniques, ideas, and philosophies.
• Asking questions does not make you look incompetent. Rather, it makes you look like a dedicated professional who wants to do what’s best for students.
• True professionals will not sacrifice learning something new for fear of appearing ignorant. We are all ignorant when it comes to teaching. There’s so much we don’t yet know.

If you want to be an effective teacher, you can’t afford NOT to ask questions. Any teacher, regardless of years of experience, who does not question will stagnate. So ask lots of questions. Just be prepared for the fact that every time you get one question answered, it will open a whole new world of possibilities, for which you’ll have more questions, which will, of course, lead to more answers which will then awaken new questions which will require more answers.