I am honest and say I don't know, but will try to find out. Students know when we are waffling. No one can know everything, even in their own field of learning.

I am honest and say I don't know, but will try to find out. Students know when we are waffling. No one can know everything, even in their own field of learning.

I agree. I would be honest, but try to engage the student in answering the question. What do they know already? What might help answer the question? Is there something (facts, conjecture, etc) which may help? I would have the students work together. I would have them come up with possible answers.

Yes. Mr Lnpx has excellent suggestions.

I meant Mr Knox! My fingers are to big for my cell phone. Sorry!

Seriously, be honest. Tell them you don't have answer already. I do the same. I promise them to verify the answer to the question next class. There is no crime in that. That is what it means to be a good teacher

Thank you Mr. Tunde

yes Tunde,very correct!!you may just ask the class for a clue while processing what to say or do.If they are also clueless like you,tell them you will get the answers next class,and please go find the answer and deliver it so well next class

Am grateful Madam Ijeoma

Yes I agree its good to be honest with learners. I also consider critically analyzing the question so that where there is a word or phrase that I know about, I should say something to them or comment about it. But for a specific answer I could ask the class to suggest and also to go and search for the correct answer. That will also give me an opportunity to search wide for a convincing answer. My answer even if I don't know must show and stimulate interest in the learner to go and find out.

I agree with everyone. But we can go a little further and take the opportunity to help students to :

- to develop skills and strategies to learn how to learn

- reflect on what knowledge is and on the epistemological beliefs they have. For example, to realize that knowledge goes beyond the simple right or wrong answer, which also overshadows relativism and that its construction depends on the very action of the learner.

I appreciate your submissions

Being a teacher, its occur with us but the students consider that the teacher always remains perfect, and we the teachers should maintain the dignity in front of students. Its the ability of the teacher that how he/she handle the situation. I specially do in my class that when they raise a question as I am not able to answer correctly on the spot, So I ask the students you have any more questions, if answer is yes then I write the questions on the white board and engage the students that if any body in the class can answer raise you hands and in this way I provide an occasion of discussion. Failing the students to answer the questions correctly I make it a home assignment and next day I become prepare for them.

It most certainly happens... we all know. Couple of things come to my mind after 20 years in the teaching field (and both depend on the kind of student(s) you have in class (some of them can get too suspicious when such things happen, and distrust can ruin the pace of a class...), so: 1) I do tell them I don't know, but I will come up with the answer (after all no one knows everything; 2) I ask them to search for the answer as an assignment or project presentation - they usually get VERY enthusiastic. Cheers!

Am grateful to you all for your wonderful submissions

You are very welcome! :)

I agree with Dr Hooper. But i would ensure that the question being asked is understood before stating "i dont know". The i would personally leave the answering of that question as homework. or i would do the research and answer it as soon as practically possible. but one should never end with "i dont know" an attempt must be made by the educator to find the answer that question. Lastly if the questions cannot be answered by anyone given little knowledge on the subject, e.g. what is the "great attractor" in space, or what will happen if we could fly a jet or rocket into a black hole. Here we can only speculate as the real answer to that question is not known, even though scientists can venture a guess . it is also important to now that it is good that people dont know everything about the world they live in, thats the fun about life itself, to inquiring minds, to find answers to questions via experiment or conceptual thinking.

Well appreciated Mr. Govender

You absolutely have to be honest, but this becomes a greater opportunity to model metacognition and demonstrate strategies that you use to find an answer to an unknown question. You get to analyse the question, brainstorm all the things, resources and tools you could consult and use to help you find the answer and then you get to demonstrate HOW to use such tools and resources and arrive at the answer. It also presents the opportunity for you to discuss as a class - HOW do we know when we have found the RIGHT answer, how can we match an answer to a question (or a question to an answer) and know that we have the right answer? These are strategies that we expect children to employ in their study and also in exam taking and so not knowing an answer to a question actually opens the door for you to teach (and more importantly for the children to learn) so much more.

I strongly believe that while you as a teacher can indeed tell students that you don't know but will find out FOR them and tell them in the next class, doing so means that you (and the students) miss an incredibly brilliant opportunity to teach beyond the obvious and to engage the learners to actively find out WITH you by enabling them to co- construct their own knowledge and understanding rather than passively receiving your knowledge.

In essence - embrace NOT knowing because it also shows your students that you too are human and nobody knows everything, but everybody can find answers to questions if they are shown how and guided, encouraged engaged and supported to find out.

Find and discuss next class from both side...students as well as teacher because every person is a learner everyday....If we know then its experience.

If I were this person, I would engage other students to participate in the discussion. Another opportunity is to say frankly that you can't answer right now, but you'll look it up or find the information in some reliable sources and answer later.

Thank you all for your wonderful submissions

I will throw the question to the students as if am evaluating them for the lecture. I will give room for interaction among the students. Definitely, I will get a clue to answering the question at the end.

Thank you J.D. for your in depth contribution

I simply say that I dont know but I will check it until next lecture and thank you for your contribution.

I always tell may students that we are all learners and that every semester I learn new things from the students. The whole of life is a learning process. I would personally tell them that we can all explore that question as an assignment and we will come in with the answer in the next lecture and compare/discuss it. For sure no one can know everything and there are case when the answer just skipped your mind. Asking for time or encouraging collaborative learning and sharing can help come up with the answer.

Well appreciated Mr. Osunsan

Be honest and get them to research it there and then on phones, laptops or computers. Then it can be discussed.

If I am a teacher and ask me to be unable to answer.

I will definitely say that I will give you the result after research.

This is an interesting question. I remember a few years ago, I was asked to train surgeons to teach anatomy to undergraduate medical students. I was Chairing Medical Education at a university in Malaysia at that time. This decision was made by our Dean and it was a great learning opportunity. I remember after the training workshops, a neurosurgeon told me that he spent long hours at night preparing for the lesson, as he was afraid least students ask him a question and he cannot answer. I asked him, are you supposed to know the answers of all questions? He said, i am not sure. I said, "No, no one can". But more important we want you to be a facilitator of teaching anatomy rather than a moving encyclopaedia. So if students' ask a question, let the students think about the answer, by asking related questions that could help them and facilitate the answer. Use scientific logic. In fact I do not want you to answer, even if you know the correct answer. We want you to encourage self-directed learning, and the ability of students to search for answers. Also other students in the group may provide the answer or lead the discussion. Usually leave the students to search for answers and then invite them for a discussion the next session you see them. I hope this helps. Professor S Azer

So grateful Prof. Azer

Teachers are the most interesting individuals in the universe.Once you touch their ego,mmh you will be amazed.Obed, your question has generated much academic discourse here.All answers are similar whether verbose or concise.This is so interesting Sir.scongrats

Am grateful Madam Ijeoma

I would simply tell the student that I don't have an immediate answer for the question, but that I will research it and back with a plausible answer for the hayer next class meeting. If I were Socrates, I guess that I would answer that question with yet another one, but then again, I'm not yet ready for a cup of Hemlock for my trouble. Or if it was a student with whom I had established an excellent relationship with, I might say, "Hmmm... give me two minutes and I'll tell you everything that I do know."

Following..

As a teacher, you should understand and also make it known to your students that you are not the repository of all knowledge. As such, sch a question can be redirected to the whole class for further discussion or as an assignment for discussion on your next meeting.

Teachers are most effective when they are open and honest with their students. I too would tell the student who asked the unanswerable question that I don't have an immediate answer but would have one when the class meets again. If the student persisted in wanting or needing an immediate answer, I would open the forum for students to answer the question correctly. If this proved to be a problem, the answer would have to wait until the next session.

I say I don't know, but will try to find out.

Regards

should teachers "know" everything? Or should they be able to help guide students towards an answer?

Very interesting discussion.

When I was a child, I assumed my teachers know everything. It is the case with most children. They ignorantly assume their teachers know everything so some intentionally test teachers by posing certain questions to them in class.

If you are teaching tertiary, better tell the students the part you know about the answer and b clear to them about the area whose answer you do not readily have. Do not pretend to know. Give yourself and them an assignment to look it up for the next lecture.

There are many ways it could redirect the question to a student superior in class home as a function of him and so he has enough to search or it is possible that the student knows how to answer his question through an Internet search and tell him as one of the teaching methods of the task, a self-learning mode time after receiving the answer could expose them in front of his colleagues and discussed with the teacher in the classroom, and so the student feels excellence through this process and thank you

Thanks for your submissions

In such a case, it is preferable to ask the question to the students and ask them who has the answer. If no one gives an answer for not knowing it, it is preferable that the question be given as a duty for the next lecture

The best response would be honesty, telling the student that I honestly don't know the answer right now; however, I will get back to you with the answer soon.

Am grateful zemali and Noori

Above all don't pretend to know something you don;t know. I agree with the responses which say honesty is always the best policy.

Thanks Jeffrey

Dr Obed Adams , we can apologize and frankly say to the students that, I will get back to you with this topic later.

I simply say that I do not know the answer of the question, but I will look for the answer

Best Regards @ Obed Adams

Thanks for your submissions

You have to be smart by also asking the class jokingly who can answer the question, if none, then you give it as an assignment which should be submitted the next class. Before the next class, you must have known how to answer it.

The key is to respect the student's desire to learn. If you avoid the question or give an answer you know is inadequate, then you're being deliberately unhelpful. If you just give up and admit defeat, then at least you're being honest, but the student still isn't finding out what he/she wanted to know. If you respond by pointing the student on the road to an answer, even if you can't supply it off the top of your head, then you've done everything that can be expected of you.

I don't know the answer to your question at the moment, let us all try to find a solution together.

I would tell him that I dont have answer to it. I am not ashamed in doing such a thing because not always your are ready

No problem, no one on this planet earth know each and every thing. If the question is relevant, ask for time. Prepare the question and explain it in the next class. Encourage the student to ask such question in future also.

Question and answer session is the soul of accedamics and research.

Obviously, we cannot know everything, and students do use electronic devices connected to the Internet while in class, so that they can ”google” whatever you say and verify your statements. In my job (comparative history), usually we have to do with persons, events and processes.

With persons or events, you can always forget or get wrong a date or a place. If the question is related to such things and I do not know the answer, I simply promise to check and come with the right answer next class. If the question is about processes and comparisons, then I provide the historical context to the best of my knowledge and promise to reflect upon until next class and have a class discussion then.

Honestly, we should be thankful if students are genuinely interested in what we are teaching and are still asking relevant questions. The idea that professors should adopt and authoritarian style and pretend to know everything is just stupid in the era of mobile communications.

To be honest, I will never say I don't know the answer, but I tell him we will discuss your answer next lecture

I will tell him that it is a good question and I want you to take it as a duty for you to submit to me the next lecturel. I don't tell him I don't know the answer.

Well as a student, some of my teachers, when i asked something deep in some topic. They are like

GET OUT

If i became a teacher someday and a student asks me a question which i don't know, I'll tell him I'll clear it to you in my next class.

And I'll not be ashamed of it, that i don't know the answer to your question. And i won't discourage him by saying get out, cause he'll always be afraid of asking questions in future as i am now.

And we learn where there is a question mark (?)

Follow

In such a case, it is best to ask the students a question and ask them who has the answer. If no one answers because they do not know it, it is better to ask the question as a duty for the next lecture (and so the professor can use the time to prepare an answer)