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Simple Tools for Brain Surgery:

Using Questions to Open Minds

By Bill Jack

Texas Home School Coalition Association Review © August 1997

Every teacher tells his students, “If you don’t understand something I’m saying or something in the textbook, don’t hesitate to ask me about it.  Feel free to ask questions.”   Even the most anti-Christian professor will acknowledge the need for students to seek clarification and comprehension.   But this advice can help Christian students in high school or college to gently interject the truth in classroom discussions.

            The wisest teacher who ever lived taught this principle to his students.  In Matthew 10:16 Jesus Christ told his students, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.”   Not a very pleasant thought, is it?   So Jesus continued with these instructions, “therefore, be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.”

            Nothing is craftier than a snake.  It hides, often camouflaged, waiting to ambush its prey.   Pretty wise.  (Hiss-hiss.)

            Nothing is more innocent than a dove—the symbol of peace.   A dove is harmless.  (Coo-coo.)

            How do these two images fit together?   How can you apply them in the classroom?   Well, consider what usually happens when you take exception with something the teacher says and you try to tell him in front of the class that he is wrong.   This doesn’t win any points with the teacher.  It may even get you into trouble.

Instead of inciting your teacher, do what he has told you to do—ask questions! Begin with, “I don’t understand.”   That way you’re not attacking the teacher; you are merely seeking information.  (Hiss-hiss.  Coo-coo.)

Practice beginning your questions with “I don’t understand.”   With a bit of practice it will soon become very natural.  You will not be viewed as obnoxious or belligerent, but merely curious.  Teachers like curiosity.

            Then practice a second question: “What do you mean by that?”  Defining terms is a logical step toward clearly understanding a person’s position.   For example, if I asked you to go out to my car and bring back the right-handed thingamajig, you would naturally ask me, “What do you mean by the ‘right-handed thingamajig’?”  If you didn’t ask that very important question, you might rummage through my car and bring back the left-handed whatchamacallit.

            Now apply this to the classroom.   Suppose your biology teacher tells you that evolution is a fact.   Your response?   “Excuse me, but I don’t understand.   What do you mean by ‘fact’?”  Although this question seems innocent, you may be surprised at the answer.

In order to communicate intelligently with someone else, yon must be using the same definitions for the words you use.   “What do you mean by that?” solves the problem.  You will understand—not necessarily agree with, but understand—what the other person is saying.

            That’s important, because once you understand what the teacher means, then you can use the killer question.   If I were to tell you the moon was made of green cheese, what would you want to ask me?   You would almost automatically say, “How do you know that to be true?”  And this killer question usually stops most discussions in their tracks.

            Let’s go back to biology class.  Remember the statement, “Evolution is a fact”?   Now pull out the killer question: “I don’t understand.   How do you know that to be true?”  Usually the teacher will refer to a scientist or textbook.   Simply ask the question again.   “I don’t understand.   How do you know that the textbook is right?   How do you know that the scientist is telling the truth?”  Get the picture?

            Let’s go to a contemporary issues class for another example.   Normally, in dealing with the problem of unwanted pregnancy, abortion is discussed.  Inevitably, someone (possibly your teacher) will say, “A woman has a right to control her own body.”  Use the first question several times on this statement.  Ask, “I don’t understand.  What do you mean by ‘woman’?  Do you mean someone four years old, 14 years old, 45 years old or 85 years old?   And what do you mean by ‘right’?   What do you mean by ‘control’?  Does a woman have a right to inject drugs into her body, or sell her body on the street corner?  And what do you mean by ‘body’?”  The response on this one is interesting—and it quickly reveals the absurdity of this liberal platitude.

            By the grace of God, such questions will drive your teachers to think about their statements and their subjects more carefully.  You will encourage them to be more accurate.  You will also find education to be much more engaging as you practice being “wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove.”

Bill Jack  is the faculty advisor for Worldview Academy.  The basis for this article is a lecture by Bill titled “Critical Thinking.” 

Worldview Academy offers a discount to THSC Association members.  Find out more.

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