Teaching Students There Isn't Only One Right Answer

Ever since my children started school, I have volunteered in their classrooms. It is one way for me to become better acquainted with my children’s classmates, and gives me some insight into their education. Last fall, during the opening to an experiment on air pressure, I was puzzled by the hesitation and general lack of enthusiasm the students showed for science. In the past, I had always found that students were excited about science.

Yet, in this instance, whenever I posed a question, hands went up tentatively only to be retracted as soon as I called on the volunteer. At home that evening, I asked my son if I had scared his classmates in some way. He replied, “Mom, it’s just no fun being wrong in that class.” 

The Emphasis on Getting the Answer Right

Unfortunately, the students in that class had gotten the message that only the right answers were valuable. They were missing the notion that learning requires taking risks. American education puts so much emphasis on the “right” answer that the value of a “wrong” answer is ignored. Imagine if Thomas Edison had been deterred by failure. We would all be sitting in the dark right now! Let your students know that every answer helps others learn. Whenever a student volunteers, thank him/her for being brave enough to take a risk. Then try a few of these techniques to create an atmosphere of trust.

Building Trust in the Classroom

Have students build something - literally. Every time a student volunteers to answer a question, add a block to a tower. Tell them the goal is to build it as high as possible before the lesson is over. Of course, the best part is knocking it down at the end!

Another way to get students comfortable with answering questions is to have them explain their reasoning. When students give an incorrect answer, don’t point it out right away. Ask them to explain how they got that answer, or ask them to find support for their reasoning. It’s far more meaningful for a student to find their own mistakes. If students have given several wrong answers to a question you have posed, perhaps the question is unclear; you can try rephrasing it. Likewise, it is important to point out how all of the wrong answers are helping the class get closer to the right one.

The Risk Book

Another idea that I borrowed from a mentor is the use of a special notebook that he called a Risk Book. In math class, when he wanted students to work on their critical thinking skills, he asked them to take out their Risk Books and give it their best shot. Sometimes he wasn’t even looking for a “right” answer, but rather creative problem solving. After he had given students time to work out the problems, he would call on individuals to explain their solution. Using this method, there was no pressure to get the “right” answer.

While I am not a big fan of “clickers” as a method of assessment, they are non-threatening for hesitant students. Otherwise known as an electronic student response system, this method allows teachers to get an idea of student understanding as a lesson unfolds or during a review. After the answers have been submitted, teachers can go through the choices and ask volunteers to explain why each answer might be right or wrong.

Unfortunately, risk-taking isn’t valued like it was in the past. The focus on bubbling in the right letter has made our students reluctant to take chances when they are unsure. What would have happened if Magellan had turned around after just five hundred miles, or Sir Alexander Fleming had tossed out his penicillin molds? Encourage students to read about experiments that went wrong or accidental discoveries, and show them the value of being wrong once in awhile. What follows are more lessons to foster critical thinking skills.

Critical Thinking Lessons and Activities:

Building a Community of Writers

In this lesson, elementary students practice giving and receiving feedback which helps build trust among learners.

Building Trust in the Classroom

Using a checklist, students find classmates that display certain positive qualities and then gain feedback about their own personal qualities.

Hitting the Road 

In this social studies lesson for ninth grade, students explore how choices are made.  It reinforces the idea that “right” and “wrong” are products of our current needs and previous experiences.

Coming to America: Opportunities, Risks, Consequences

This lesson for middle school helps students analyze how choices are made from a cultural standpoint.  

The Greatest Invention in History

Middle school students examine the pros and cons of some of history’s inventions.  They explore unintended impacts and “spin-off” inventions.