I don’t know! …But maybe…
Have you ever prompted your class and run into a chorus of “I don’t know?”
This little bonus post includes a solution! It also includes a free printable poster to help you remind students what they can do when they don’t know.
Just here for the poster? Scroll down!
Let’s say you’ve presented a question or challenge, and students shrug, tell you they don’t know, and then somehow assume they’ll be off the hook. In my experience this response is most likely when I’ve asked students to do something new, or challenging. Because most students are new to discussions of emotions within their academics, the “I don’t know” shrug is especially likely when I first make this request.
“I don’t know” is only half of the problem! The other, hidden, sentiment is often something along the lines of, “and also, I would rather not figure it out.”
This isn’t about blame. If we unpack further, “I would rather not figure it out” can mean so many things:
“I’m afraid.”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“I’m thinking about something else in my life that, quite frankly, feels more important at the moment!”
The disengaged “I don’t know” is an issue of resilience. Many students need help knowing what to do when they don’t know, or how to persevere when their emotions are rising. For whatever reason, they assume that stating their ignorance is sufficient, and you’ll either leave them alone or jump in and save them. Don’t do it!
In order to be creative thinkers and problem-solvers, students need to be comfortable with ambiguity. And in order to build their resilience, they need to see that they can find plausible solutions despite their doubts and big emotions. Kids and adults alike need to see the often-uncomfortable feeling of not knowing as an opportunity and then push beyond it to consider possible solutions.
Next time you ask a question and get a disengaged “I don’t know” in return, prompt your student by continuing their sentence:
“But maybe…”
You may need to:
Reassure them that their guess doesn’t need to be correct.
Remind them that it’s okay to not know, but it’s not okay to do nothing about it.
Be (gently and kindly) persistent in pushing for their best guess. Or any guess.
When they do give you ANY kind of answer, treat it as a legitimate response and help them move forward to build trust.
Sometimes students really are at the edge of what they can handle, and pushing them past the edge won’t help. But far more often, they can do more than they think! A little nudge in the direction of uncertainty can be exactly what they need.
If you’re experiencing this on a very regular basis, you may want to address it with your whole class. I know that when we returned to the classroom in the weeks and months following the Covid lockdown, my students’ resiliency skills were at an all-time low.
I’ve attached a poster here based on the one I used to help them move towards greater independence in their learning. Make as many copies as you like, and refer to it often so your students will catch on!
I used to get so frustrated by the chorus of “I don’t know.” With the help of “but maybe…” I’ve encouraged my students to be resilient and almost completely eliminated it.
If you’re experiencing this too, try out “But maybe…” It will make all the difference!
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