Were the pupil’s queries followed up and answered?

Direct questions or queries from your pupil should be dealt with as soon as possible. The response may involve providing information or directing your pupil to a suitable source.

Remember that, wherever possible, your pupil should be encouraged to discover answers themselves. However, if you do need to provide information you must ensure that your pupil completely understands the information given.

Pupils may not always have the confidence to ask direct questions. You should be able to pick up comments or body language that indicates uncertainty or confusion and use suitable techniques to explore possible issues.

Indications that all the elements of competence are in place could include:

• responding openly and readily to queries
• providing helpful answers or directing your pupil to suitable sources of information
• actively Checking with your pupil if their comments or body language suggest they may have a question
• encouraging your pupil to explore practical solutions for themselves

Indications of lack of competence include:

• refusing to respond to queries
• providing inaccurate information in response to queries
• avoiding the question or denying responsibility for answering it

Again, as part of the continuous feedback loop inherent in the chunking methodology there will be queries from the pupil, as well as things they may ask as they experience things. Be sure that you answer questions honestly, check the information makes sense to them and most importantly, does it answer their question (don’t ever assume!).