I Don't Know . . . or Do I?

In a recent meeting, a colleague asked me a question that I was unsure how to answer. I thought about it for a moment and then replied, “I don’t know.” The answer “I don’t know” usually prompts the person asking the question to either look for an answer elsewhere or share their own thoughts on the subject. My colleague, however, did not follow either of those paths. Instead, he posed a second question: “If you did know, what would you say?”

When he asked this second question, I started to answer immediately—but then I paused, realizing what had just happened. My colleague had pushed me to think through something that I would have been quick to dismiss otherwise. That simple question or similar questions, as he explained to me with a smile, can reveal significant thoughts when used at the right time. He encouraged me to try it with my students or even with my own children at home.

Here is what I found when I tried this second question at school:

One child “didn’t know” what 4 plus 3 equals. But she said that if she did know, she would say 7, because 4 plus 4 equals 8 and this was only one less. Another child “didn’t know” how to read the word giraffe. However, she said that if she did know how to read it, she would say “Giraffe.” Why? Because the picture on the the page was of a giraffe, and it made sense in the sentence. And finally, a third child “didn’t know” why it was difficult for her to stay in one spot when reading. When asked what she would say if she did know why, however, she answered that she was able to see what all her friends were doing and wanted to be a part of it.

And at home, here’s what happened:

My son didn’t know where the pile of things on his floor should go. But if he did know, he would say the sweatshirt went in the laundry hamper, the jeans went in the closet, the baseball cards went in his case, the book belonged on the shelf, and the Kleenex should be tossed in the trash. My daughter didn’t know why she had answered so many questions incorrectly on her biology test. If she did know, however, she would say it was probably because she had waited to study until the night before.

I don’t know if this probing question will always produce the answers for which I am looking. But if I did know, I would say it is a great tool to promote deeper thinking from our students, colleagues, and even ourselves.