Connection doesn’t come from content. It comes from curiosity. And curiosity always starts with a question. Not a quiz question, though. A connection question.
“What’s your favorite snack?”
“Who inspires you?”
“Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?”
These are moments of open-ended exploration. They can be fun, light, and surface-level, or we can wade a little further into the middle. Just don’t throw them in the deep end. Questions are not intended to make students relive trauma, especially in front of the whole class.
Questions get kids talking, sharing, and connecting. They start to feel seen, heard, and understood. And that’s what we’re after. When students speak, they build confidence. And when they listen to each other, little seeds of empathy start growing. We just need to water them.
For us teachers, these questions are also little windows into what excites students, stresses them out, or keeps them going. We learn who needs a check-in, who’s ready to learn, who’s ready to lead, and what really matters to them.
So remember, it’s not just a question. It’s an intentional opportunity for every voice to matter and a fast track to feeling seen.
-Mr. Brian & The Edtomorrow Team