The Most Useless Question in Teaching
You just spent 3 minutes explaining a complex roleplay activity. You ask the class:
*Teacher: 'Do you understand?'*
*Students (nodding happily): 'Yes!'*
*Teacher: 'Do you understand?'*
*Students (nodding happily): 'Yes!'*
You hand out the papers. Chaos erupts. Nobody knows what to do. One student starts eating the paper.
'Do you understand?' is a useless question. Students will say 'yes' because they want to please you, or because they are too embarrassed to admit they don't know in front of their peers, or because they *think* they understand but actually misunderstood completely.
Enter the ICQ (Instruction Checking Question)
An ICQ is a targeted, specific question asked immediately after giving instructions to verify comprehension.
Good ICQs are binary (either/or), true/false, or simple factual recall. They should be incredibly easy to answer IF the student understood the instructions.
The Process:
1. Explain the activity loudly and clearly, using gestures.
2. Ask 2-3 specific ICQs to different students across the room.
3. Hand out the materials (NEVER hand out worksheets *before* giving instructions—they won't listen to you).
1. Explain the activity loudly and clearly, using gestures.
2. Ask 2-3 specific ICQs to different students across the room.
3. Hand out the materials (NEVER hand out worksheets *before* giving instructions—they won't listen to you).
Examples of Good vs. Bad ICQs
Scenario: A 5-minute pair-work gap-fill reading.
❌ Bad: 'Are we working together?' (Too vague)
✅ Good: 'Are you working alone or with your partner, Elena?'
✅ Good: 'Are you working alone or with your partner, Elena?'
❌ Bad: 'How long do you have?' (Too open)
✅ Good: 'Do you have 5 minutes or 10 minutes, David?'
✅ Good: 'Do you have 5 minutes or 10 minutes, David?'
❌ Bad: 'What do you do with the text?'
✅ Good: 'Are you reading the whole text now, or just filling the gaps, Sarah?'
✅ Good: 'Are you reading the whole text now, or just filling the gaps, Sarah?'
❌ Bad: 'Do you write on the paper?'
✅ Good: 'Are we writing sentences, or just one word in the gap?'
✅ Good: 'Are we writing sentences, or just one word in the gap?'
lightbulb
Teacher Tip
"Write your instructions on the board as a 3-step checklist BEFORE the activity begins. Point to them as you ask your ICQs. Leave the checklist on the board during the activity so students can reference it instead of asking you."
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to ask ICQs for every single activity?
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No. If it's a routine they do every day (like a spelling test), ICQs are a waste of time. Save them for new, complex, or multi-step activities.
What if a student answers the ICQ wrong?
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Don't just give them the right answer. Ask another student: 'Marco, can you help Elena? How many minutes do we have?' This reinforces peer support and ensures everyone is listening.