The Art of the Question

Recently I've been thinking about useful questions.

Sometimes, like when you're stuck in a situation you don't know how to get out of, or when you're looking for an answer that you just can't find, or you're trying to analyze a certain kind of truth or a specific moment in a relationship with another, you might just need to take a moment and say unto thyself:

Am I asking the most useful question?

Because probably?

You are not.

I find that questions can fall on a continuum of more or less useful, but that they are most likely always used for something. Questions help me to learn about the person sitting in front of me, they help me to understand that person's world.  Questions help me to get my students to think for themselves, to take ownership over their learning.  Questions help me to understand my own context, and my place inside of it.

But questions can also just be a unique way to get at information I could simply tell you straight out.

Such as:

Do you remember the cutest baby in the world?

This weekend, Daniela learned the Art of the Question:

'Hey, who is this lady?'

'Why does she make these exorbitant faces?'

'Why didn't you tell me she's so funny?'

'Why don't I have such monstrous lips?'

'Why hasn't she been around more? I like her.'
(ok, that one might be my own wishful interpretation...)

She also got to ask some things
about her Uncle Dave & Aunt Kara.

For instance,

'Who are you?'

'What do you look like from this angle?'

 'Why do you have such monstrous hands?'

And,

'Why in the world do they think I'm so hysterical?'

Now, when she asked me if she could gnaw on my finger for awhile,
I was a bit taken aback.
I should have asked if she was serious:

She was.

[I now know I do not need to ask the question
'Is she growing any teeth yet?']

And finally,
since she is so gifted in the Art of the Question,
she has a few for you:

'Did you hear I got baptized this weekend?'
and
'Do you think my really great Auntie Lauren will blog about it?'
and
'I wonder what she thinks
the most useful question is in regard to me?'

Stay tuned you little bug, the baptism blog is on its way!