Many times in your classes your teacher may say to you, “Ok everyone. Does anyone have a question?”
And then… there is SILENCE.
No one will raise their hand. No one will ask a question. You might be silent. Your classmates may be silent. The whole room is silent.
SILENCE… and outside you hear the gentle wind blowing…. SILENCE…
Why are you silent in your class? Why do you not ask a question?
Maybe you feel shy. Maybe you don’t want to be the only person in your class with a question. Maybe you are thinking, “If I raise my hand and if I ask my questions, what will the other students think? Will they think I am strange? Will they think that I am some kind of question-monster?”
Those might be things to think about. But you should also know that asking questions is a very good idea. Asking questions is good for many reasons. Let’s talk about why asking questions is good for your life.
ONE: If you are someone who asks questions in a conversation with your friends, they will like you more and more. When we ask questions of our friends it is a sign that we are interested in our friends. When we ask questions of other people we show that we have passion for life and like other people. Asking questions makes you more popular with friends.
TWO: Asking questions of other people helps you make good relationships. When we ask questions of our friends we can learn more about them. We can make a good connection with trust and respect. Asking questions can deepen your friendships.
THREE: Asking questions in school will make you more intelligent. Your teachers are very good, but when you ask them questions they will teach your more, and help you understand more. Questions in school will make your test scores better and you will become smarter.
FOUR: Asking questions is what good leaders do. A good leader does not say, “I know everything and you should do what I say.” A good leader asks questions of smart people around them and gets information. A good leader makes a team of people who ask questions and then together they can move forward.
FIVE: Asking questions is how we grow our knowledge in science. The scientific method to make more science is a process of always asking questions. Questions is the most essential part of being a good scientist or doctor. In science we ask, “Why?” and “How?” And “What?” As we find answers for our questions we keep finding new questions and our understanding and knowledge gets bigger and bigger.
SIX: Asking questions makes you grow as a person. Questions will make your mind think in different ways about music, art, history, and computers. Questions will increase our confidence and our happiness. Maybe we do not know all the answers, but when we ask questions we can say, “I do not know the answer, but my questions are growing my mind and understanding.”
So now you know why asking questions is so important for your life. Don’t be so shy. Don’t be quiet in your class or with your friends. You have a brain in your head and a heart in your body, and both are full of questions. Your life gets better with the more questions you ask.
Let’s ask some questions!