Hacking Questions: 11 Answers That Create a Culture of Inquiry in Your Classroom

Do you need to ramp up your classroom questioning techniques?

Questions are the driving force of learning in classrooms. Hacking Questions digs into framing, delivering, and maximizing questions in the classroom to keep students engaged in learning.

Known in education circles as the "Questioning Guru," Connie Hamilton shows teachers of all subjects and grades how to:

• Hear the music: listen for correct answers
• Scaffold to trigger student thinking without doing it for them
• Kick the IDK bucket to avoid “I don’t know” as the final answer
• Punctuate your learning time to end with reflection questions
• Spin the throttle to fuel students to ask the questions
• Fill your back pocket with engagement questions
• Make yourself invisible by establishing student-centered protocols
• Be a Pinball Wizard and turn students into facilitators

Praise for Connie Hamilton and Hacking Questions

"Connie Hamilton is known by teachers and leaders as the Questioning Guru. She offers minor tweaks and major perspective shifts. You will be a better questioner tomorrow." -Dr. Dorothy VanderJagt, Professional Learning Coordinator

"Connie Hamilton is a world-class presenter with expertise in the art of questioning. She provides a fresh perspective and practical tips on integrating research-based strategies." -Melisa Mulder, Intervention Teacher

"Connie is an incredible driver of change in our focus on classroom questioning as a best practice instructional strategy." -Troy VanderLaan, Middle School Administrator

Answers to your questions about questions

Hacking Questions provides practical solutions to the universal questioning problems that teachers face daily. Find your answers now.

“Look out, Socrates! Here comes Connie Hamilton, the newest innovator of questionology! — Marcia Gutiérrez, High School Educator

“Connie will push your thinking and equip you with invaluable

questioning strategies that all K–12 teachers need to use! She has

helped me become more intentional when questioning my students

and the results have been remarkable. The best part is that

my students are now modeling Connie’s techniques when they

question each other!”

— Kristy Babyak, Elementary Teacher

“Look out, Socrates! Here comes Connie Hamilton, the newest

innovator of questionology! Connie Hamilton is leading teachers

to create a higher level of learning through questioning techniques

that can only be compared to the Golden Age.”

— Marcia Gutiérrez, High School Educator

“Connie has the unique ability to know how to support teachers

with the knowledge and confidence to understand their roles

when asking questions to increase student thinking and engagement.

She is an amazing presenter. You can take your learning

immediately into the classroom!”

— Simone Margraf, Curriculum/Instruction/MTSS District

Coordinator/K–8 Instructional Coach

“Connie Hamilton is a highly skilled facilitator who provides

teachers with the opportunity to reflect on their questioning and

bring clarity to what is essential in student learning. She consciously

shapes professional development with an inquiry approach. It is evident

that she is a true champion for student and teacher success!”

— Stephanie O’Connor, Middle School Principal

“In a very short amount of time, Connie Hamilton opened my

eyes to the art of questioning. Connie taught me how to get more

from my students by questioning in such a way that is safe and

inviting to the students in order to deepen their thinking. I feel

fortunate to have had the training and welcome any further professional

development from such a guru of questioning.”

—Debbie Pappas, Elementary Math Teacher

“Our teachers have the wonderful opportunity to learn along

with Connie. She has a wealth of knowledge around teaching and

learning. Connie is a masterful coach, facilitator and presenter.

She crafts questions for teachers to have deep reflection around

their practice. Connie’s work provides teachers with effective techniques

they can implement right away to strengthen the purpose

of their lessons.”

— Cheryl Thomas, Elementary Principal

“Connie is an incredible driver of change in our focus on classroom

questioning as a best practice instructional strategy. Her

support in our district has rebuilt classroom questioning into its

most efficient and effective form to date. I’ve learned so much

from Connie in the realm of classroom questioning, best practices,

and all things related to excellent teaching.”

— Troy VanderLaan, Middle School Administrator

“The way Connie presented questioning and how she connected it

helped me to better understand student learning. The workshops

applied to all grade levels and were interactive. I continue to use

her models with my students daily.”

— Michelle Maci, High School Teacher