Questions Should Develop Thinking, Not Test Knowledge

One of the most common misconceptions about questioning is that its purpose is to check whether someone knows the answer. This may be appropriate in some classroom situations, but mentoring conversations have a different purpose. Rather than testing knowledge, mentoring questions should develop professional thinking.

Every mentor meeting provides an opportunity to help trainees:

• make sense of classroom experiences;
• connect theory to practice;
• recognise patterns in their teaching;
• evaluate the impact of their decisions; and
• identify meaningful next steps.

Questions therefore become tools for learning rather than tools for assessment alone. This aligns closely with Schön's (1983) concept of the reflective practitioner. Schön argued that professionals become increasingly expert by reflecting on experience and using that reflection to inform future action. Here, mentors play an important role in facilitating this process. Rather than analysing lessons for the trainee, effective mentors use questions that encourage the trainee to analyse their own practice.

Over time, this helps trainees become increasingly independent professionals who are able to evaluate and improve their own teaching- something we do automatically. Scaffolding your questioning in this approach means that trainee teacher can start to move from novice to expert. 

Moving Beyond Description

Early in training, trainees often describe what happened during a lesson.

For example:

"The pupils weren't engaged."

"Behaviour wasn't very good."

"The lesson didn't go to plan."

Whilst these observations provide useful starting points, they represent only the first stage of reflection. The mentor's role is to help the trainee move beyond description towards analysis.

Compare the following mentor responses.

Conversation A

Trainee

"The lesson didn't go very well."

Mentor

"Why not?"

Conversation B

Trainee

"The lesson didn't go very well."

Mentor

"What evidence led you to that conclusion?"

Notice how the second question encourages a more analytical response. Rather than focusing on feelings alone, the trainee is encouraged to consider the evidence underpinning their judgement. This approach aligns with Wiliam's (2011) view that effective formative assessment relies upon evidence rather than assumption.

Helping Trainees Think Like Teachers

One of the purposes of mentoring is helping trainees adopt the habits of expert teachers.

Expert teachers continually evaluate:

• pupil learning;
• classroom interactions;
• instructional and pedagogical decisions;
• curriculum progression.

Novice teachers, however, often evaluate themselves.

For example, trainees frequently say:

"I was nervous."

"I forgot what I was going to say."

"I don't think I explained it very well."

Whilst these feelings are understandable, mentors should gradually help trainees shift their attention towards the impact of teaching on pupils.

Questions can facilitate this transition. Instead of asking:

"Were you pleased with your explanation?"

Consider asking:

"What did pupils do that suggested they understood your explanation?"

Similarly, rather than asking:

"Did behaviour improve?"

Consider asking:

"Which routines appeared to help pupils remain focused during independent work?"

These questions encourage trainees to evaluate teaching through observable evidence rather than personal perception.

This is consistent with the ITTECF, which emphasises that trainee development should be informed by evidence of classroom practice and pupil learning (Department for Education, 2024).

Giving Thinking Time

Effective questioning is not only about asking good questions. It is also about allowing sufficient time for thinking. Many mentors unintentionally ask a thoughtful question and then answer it themselves after only a few seconds of silence. Silence can feel uncomfortable. However, research suggests that increasing wait time encourages more thoughtful and sophisticated responses (Rowe, 1986). This principle applies equally within mentoring conversations.

When trainees are given time to think, they are more likely to:

• organise their ideas;
• recall evidence;
• identify relationships;
• justify their decisions;
• reflect more deeply.

Resisting the temptation to fill every silence is therefore an important mentoring skill. Sometimes, the most productive part of a mentor meeting is the moment when neither person is speaking.

Avoiding Leading Questions

Questions should help trainees think—not tell them what to think.

Consider the following examples.

Leading Question

"Don't you think your explanation was a bit too long?"

Although phrased as a question, the mentor has already provided the answer. The trainee is unlikely to explore alternative interpretations.

Now consider:

Exploratory Question

"How do you think the length of your explanation influenced pupils' understanding?"

This question encourages the trainee to evaluate the impact of their own teaching before receiving additional guidance. There may still be occasions when instructional mentoring is appropriate, particularly when trainees require explicit guidance or modelling. However, beginning with exploratory questions enables mentors to determine how much the trainee already understands before deciding what level of support is required.