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Ask Questions in Class Sooner Than Later

    

Ask Questions in Class Sooner Than Later - Learning BytesYou may be worried about holding up the class with your questions, but your job in a career training class is to ask questions sooner than later. You know that there's no reason to be nervous in the classroom, but now you're wondering, 'Does everyone have the same questions I do?' When you stop to ask questions, does it hold up the class? If you ask right away, no, it doesn't. Here's why.

 

Here are some questions to consider when looking into further career training  programs >>

As you return to school one of the biggest challenges that most of my adult students have is changing their perceptions of what school is. Most of us went to school in traditional classrooms where you raised your hands to ask questions and you didn't talk unless the teacher gave you permission to. You may be someone that doesn't understand that you're quiet and don't want people looking at you. This may cause you to not even ask questions. That is one of the biggest things that adult students need to adjust to quickly because it will improve your learning experience.

 

How to Ask a Question in Career Training

First of all, career training cohorts with Career Development Solutions are small groups to start with. There are not a lot of students in any of our groups. The instructors can stay on top of what each student is doing. And because we know that everyone learns and processes information differently, we give you lots of opportunities to ask questions. Remember: You don't have to understand everything the first time in your career training classes.

Asking Questions On Zoom

The first thing that happens in an online Zoom class is we use response buttons. There are response buttons that are check marks that say 'I'm okay' and red X's that say 'Hey, I'm not okay'. Those are vital for our classes.

Also, the traditional way of raising your hand is still available. When online, you can ask a question either by typing it in the chat box or you can ask it with a mic. If your typing skills are lacking, sometimes the mic is better. Some people don't like to talk or don't like to hear their own voice. They prefer typing. But either one of those are available to students.

Top Reasons to Pause the Class

When I have students for a long period of time, I do use the green check marks continuously. I will say, 'Give me a green check mark or a thumbs up when you finish that task'. That is my way of knowing that you got it. It may be simply opening a file or putting in a formula. It's just a quick visual check that I can scan through and if I have all my green check marks, then everyone is with me.

There are times where students may give me the red X and it's usually one of these reasons:

  • I totally missed that
  • I didn't hear what you said
  • I'm completely lost, I need you to check on me ASAP
  • I need a little extra time

If it's a skill that I need to repeat, I might repeat it slightly differently. In this case if you did not understand it the first time, I add some more scaffolding on top of the original explanation. I explain it in a slightly different manner so it might connect. Sometimes people just need a little bit of extra time. This usually happens if they are taking notes and need a minute to finish.

Why Ask Questions Sooner Than Later?

I was a student in a class last week and it was very enlightening to be a student. As a student, I forgot something that seems so obvious to me as an instructor. I had distractions left and right. My phone rang, my son came in and said something to me, and all of a sudden I missed a step of what I was learning. I did the same thing that many students do and didn't speak up right away because I didn't want to bother everybody. But when I didn't say 'could you repeat that', I lost the entire activity.

In career training, things build on each other. If you miss a step and you're trying to figure it out but don't stop to pause, the rest of the class keeps going on. Then, by the time you realize you can't figure that step out, you've missed four, five, six, or even seven more steps by the time there may be another pause. So if you don't speak up right away and we get to a point where we're concluding all the steps for a skill and you finally say 'I am so lost', that is not a good place to be. Now, the whole class has to wait on you to go back even further and repeat not only that skill, but the four, five, six, or seven that came after that one.

That's why I ask for green check marks so frequently. It's not that I don't trust you, I just know that even I have had moments where I've missed what was said. And if you miss one thing and you don't say it right away, then you're so far behind when the instructor finally does comes back to catch you up.

It's actually more important to ask the question right then and there. Maybe the class gets held up for a minute or two versus ten minutes to repeat all of the steps because they build on that first one.

Questions to Consider About Career Training

Education is the key to career advancement, but you don’t need a college degree or MBA to get ahead. IT training and career training are an efficient and proven way to advance your career and acquire new job skills. Ask these questions when considering career training programs.

Looking to further your career? Consider these questions when looking into further career training programs. Download Checklist >>

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