As a kid, I loved asking questions. In every space I ever was, you could bet that I was asking questions about what I was doing or what I was going to do next. Questions come naturally to me as a teacher as well. I love to ask my students thoughtful questions that allow for more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. Some of my two favorite questions to ask are:
"How else could I solve this problem?"
and
"What is my first step?"
I notice these are the two questions I ask the most in my classroom. I love the first questions because it literally takes math "out of the box" that so many teachers try and put it in. Math does not only have one-way streets of doing things and solving problems. There are countless avenues for students to travel down and infinite connections for them to make. the second question I ask because of the general attitude of students in my classroom. SO often, many of them to not even try because they claim, "I don't know how to start...." My question opens up to the entire class for discussion but also after students respond, I am able to encourage them in their initial thinking, regardless of what it is! Thinking about the problem IS the first step!