Leading questions, or questions that suggest the answer, do not encourage thought.  To ask, Do you not think that God is pained when we do wrong? or What ought you to say in return when some one has done you a favor? is to leave the child himself too little to do in answering.  The alternative question, or the question that simply allows the choice between two suggested possibilities is also fruitless so far as demanding thought is concerned.  In a question like, Was Paul a Gentile or was he a Jew? the bright child can usually tell from the teacher’s inflection how to answer.  In any case he will run an even chance of giving the right answer from sheer guessing.

The order of questioning.—­It is a mistake to ask questions in serial order, so that each child knows just when he is to be called upon.  This method invites carelessness and inattention.  There should be no set order, nor should a child who has just been called upon feel that he is now safe from further questioning.  The element of uncertainty as to when the next question will come is a good incentive to alertness.  The pupil who shows signs of mischief or inattention may well become the immediate mark for a question, and thereby be tided past the danger point.

Usually the question should be addressed to the entire class, and then a pause of a few seconds ensue before the one who is to answer is designated.  Care must be taken, however, not to wait too long between asking the question and calling the name of the one expected to answer, for attention and curiosity quickly fall away, and time and interest are lost and the recitation becomes slow.

The reception of answers.—­The teacher’s reception of the child’s answer is almost as important as the manner of asking the question.  First of all, the teacher must be interested in the answer.  This interest must be real, and must show in the manner.  Not to look into the eyes of the child who is answering is to fail to pay the courtesy due one who is conversing with us; it is not only bad manners but worse pedagogy.  The interested, sympathetic eye of the teacher has a wonderful power of encouragement and stimulus to the child, while an attitude of indifference on the part of the teacher is at once fatal to his enthusiasm.  One of the besetting sins of many teachers is to repeat the pupils’ answers after them.  This habit probably has its rise in mental unreadiness on the part of the teacher, who repeats what the child has just said while getting ready to ask the next question.  Besides being a great waste of time, the repeating of answers is discourteous, and is a source of distraction, and annoyance to pupils.

Finally, we may say that good questioning on the part of the teacher leads to questions on the part of the pupils.  The relations between teacher and class always should be such, that the children, feel free to ask questions on any points of the lesson, and they should be encouraged to do so.  The teacher must have the tact and skill, however, not to be led away from the topic by irrelevant questions nor to be required to waste time by discussing unimportant points which may be brought in.  It is to be feared that valuable time is sometimes lost in adult classes in discussing controversial questions that ought not to have been asked.