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There’s no such thing as a dumb question; at least that’s what we’re told.
I’ve been in education for more than ten years and it seems like an obvious thing: if you don’t know, you ask. But I still find myself coaxing students to not be in a corner suffering in silence.
From the adult perspective there’s a sense that students have it all together. What else do they have to do all day? Being a student is practically their job. “You should know better”, “You’re old enough” or “You kids have Google – use it!” are some common responses I’ve heard from parents and teachers alike.
Noticeably, students go with the flow until something major occurs: test grades, the end of the semester, being overwhelmed with balancing classes and extracurricular activities. It’s a last resort military style belly crawl to safety by the time students finally decide to reach out.
It can’t be all on the students though. In the middle of the encouragement I ask why they don’t feel empowered to speak up in the first place. The answers shouldn’t be too shocking.
Adults can seem unapproachable due to personality; intimidating because they’re older and “have it all together” professionally; or quite simply, the teacher or professor doesn’t reiterate that students are welcome in their office.
Put yourself back in your 13 year old or college sophomore shoes. It’s already enough trying to remember to put your homework in your bag or to wake up on time. Asking for help is probably the last thing on your mind. You may have felt like you don’t know what to say. If you did have the guts to ever fathom speaking up, you likely ruled it out because you didn’t want to bother the teacher or interrupt their incessantly busy schedule. If you’re willing to admit that you were just flat out lazy, that calls for bonus points for your honesty!
It’s much the same today. Sure, these students today don’t have to dust off a set of encyclopedias to do their report, and the technology is moving at lightning speed, but they are having similar experiences. It’s important for students to understand that their teachers, coaches, professors, advisors and even parents actually put in the effort to care.
Encourage the student in your life to:
● Challenge themselves to be the first person to ask a question in one of their classes
● Visit their professors during office hours at least once before midterms
● Email or post on their learning system to be virtually engaged
Kierra J. Smith was born and raised as the youngest of five in Miami, FL. She studied English at Florida A&M University (FAMU). She has devoted her professional career to being an educator in different settings, and has worked with students from kindergarten to beyond college graduation. She’s developed a passion for helping students realize their talents by helping them connect the dots to achieve their personal and academic goals. When she’s not working, she’s scouting out the next great place to eat or spending time with her nieces and nephews.
