From Blank Stares to Bright Ideas: Tackling "I Don’t Know"
Some of the most frustrating three words we all hear from our students are “I don’t know.”
Then there are the physical equivalents: blank stares, shrugged shoulders, averted eyes and noises such as “uhhhhh ….”
Even worse is the dreaded dead silence.
So, what do you do next? Give hints? Wait for an answer? Move to the next student? Is the student shy? Does she truly not know the answer? Are they afraid to risk an answer? Actively disengaged?
According to Connie Hamilton in Hacking Questions, there are many reasons why a students might say, “I don’t know,” and each one has a different solution.
The student:
• May be shy.
• Doesn’t feel confident.
• Doesn’t know how to respond.
• Is uncertain.
• Didn’t hear the question.
• Doesn’t understand the question.
• Is waiting the teacher out for clues.
• Is thinking.
Teacher Tips to Decode “I Don’t Know” Responses
Here’s a quick set of strategies from Connie to combat the IDK conundrum:
And here are some other suggestions:
- Teach your students that they don’t have to know all the answers. But it’s not ok to be satisfied with not knowing.
- Make your class a safe space for students to take chances and risk being vulnerable in front of their peers.
- To follow up on the first two points, normalize mistakes.
- Don’t save them; let them be accountable for the answers and do the work of figuring it out.
- Ask open questions to diffuse a situation.
- Nurture curiosity and interest to motivate students.
- Define each student’s success by their improvement, not compared to their peers.
- Reframe the response.
- Create a culture of curiosity.
It takes a bit more work, preparation and quick thinking, but by shifting the narrative around "I don’t know," teachers help students feel empowered to explore, inquire, and grow.
Part of this text is taken from Hacking Questions by Connie Hamilton.
“Getting Rid of ‘I Don’t Know’ in Your Classroom”
with Jennifer Gonzales
Learn from the pros! Jennifer Gonzales of The Cult of Pedagogy podcast interviews Connie Hamilton to learn phrases we can use to keep students engaged.
And even more cool stuff:
Visit Connie’s website (conniehamilton.org) for free downloadable resources you can use in your class today. Here are a few:
William M Ferriter
Career Classroom Teacher, Blogger, Author, Professional Development Provider, comments on 4 core beliefs for educational success:
Click here for the survey tool link.
Learn More
- “Kick the IDK Bucket: How to Rid Your Classroom of ‘I Don’t Know.’” 2020. Cult of Pedagogy. March 15, 2020.
- Linsin, Michael. 2024. “How to Handle Students Who Do Nothing Smart Classroom Management.” Smart Classroom Management. May 2, 2024.
- Torres, Veronica. 2022. “How to Motivate Students Who Act like They Don’t Care.” Equity & Access Pre K-12 | the American Consortium for Equity in Education. February 6, 2022.
- “Using Curiosity as a Way to Defuse Power Struggles.” February 23, 2023. Edutopia.
Resources
- Part of this text and the strategies chart are taken from Hacking Questions by Connie Hamilton
- “Qualify Your Response” posters by Connie Hamilton
- Struggling student image by Photo by RDNE Stock project from Pexels
- The Cult of Pedagogy image by cultofpedagogy.com/pod/
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