Sessions at the National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference

A Pathway for More Equity and Inclusiveness by Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions

Imagine classrooms alive with students actively formulating their own questions, learning how to improve their questions, and strategizing about how to use them. The ability to ask questions is both an academic skill and a democratic habit of mind that is now more important than ever. Students who learn to ask questions become more curious and engaged, take more ownership of their learning, and learn more deeply. Moreover, they gain practice with a critical-thinking and participation skill that is a cornerstone of civic engagement and getting your voice heard. By teaching this skill to students, educators can catalyze a stronger, equitable, more inclusive democracy and society. Examine the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) as an evidence-based strategy that activates three different thinking abilities: divergent thinking, convergent thinking, and metacognition. Experience the QFT and see examples of how to use it. Unpack how it works, plan how to integrate it into your practice, and reflect on the importance of all students learning to ask their own questions.

How to Build More Effective Partnerships with Families

Envision a community where schools and families come together in partnership to best support children’s education, where parents and guardians ask questions to actively participate in decisions that affect their children, and where educators work with parents to build fundamental partnering skills. Learn how to use the Right Question Strategy, a flexible tool that can be implemented immediately into existing work with parents and families. It does not require additional staff, budgets, or administration. The strategy distills key theories and best practices for working with families into a cost-effective, adaptable approach that enhances the various things schools and educators already do in this area, including teachers meeting one-on-one with parents; school counselors or parent liaisons interacting with small groups of parents; Title I staff engaging more parents effectively; staff working with parents in individualized education program (IEP) meetings; and administrators communicating and collaborating more effectively with families. Use active-learning and skill-building exercises to learn core principles and simple, effective methods to strengthen partnerships between schools and families. Leave inspired and excited, with a clear action plan ready to implement in your school immediately.