Teacher Sets up a “Question Box” for 4th Graders with Wild Results

As adults, there are many things about the world that we don't give too much thought to, or even take for granted. But for kids experiencing the world for the first time, every new thing poses questions. These aren't just what‘s but also how‘s and why‘s. Hoping to encourage their students' curiosity, a fourth grade teacher set up a “question box.” The queries they've gotten are a glimpse into the kids' minds and how they try their best to understand the world around them.

The teacher, who goes by Goatsnsheeps, posted some of the questions they've been getting on Reddit. They go from valid interrogations about things they encounter on their day-to-day, such as when was coffee invented or who came up with homework, to more complex inquires that could be hard to answer for most adults, like who was the first person on Earth, how were languages made, and when did people discover colors or art.

Despite the challenges, the educator, who is in their first year of teaching, goes out of their way to answer every question in a way the fourth graders can understand. While they only take between five and 10 minutes to research and write an answer, the teacher shares that they have their work cut out for them; the pupils submit an average of six questions a day.

“I answer every single one as best I can,” the teacher says, but, some questions are more challenging than others. “The first truly complex question I got was ‘When did time begin?'” They explain. “In doing research for the question, I genuinely struggled to understand the concepts, and then I had to figure out the best way to explain it to them. However, my short and limited explanation sparked about 5 more questions like ‘How old is the earth?', ‘Who was the first person?', and ‘How did we tell time before clocks?”

The questions reveal what the students enjoy and what they desire to learn and understand better. “Knowing them personally, I can tell you they all ask big questions, but the questions reflect their own personal interests,” the teacher adds. “For example, I have kids who ask a lot about cats and asked ‘What is the world record for owning the most cats' and they have cats at home. Or I have students who play sports who submitted ‘What was the first sport ever played?'”

Once ready, the teacher puts on a slideshow with the questions and answers shortly before the students are dismissed at the end of the day. “Keeps them sitting and learning,” the teacher adds. Of course, the teacher has to sometimes throw out a question here and there—things they can't answer because the pupils are 10 years old and they aren't “school appropriate.” Ultimately, the process has been very positive for both parties. “Since starting this, the students and I both find it extremely rewarding.”

All in all, this proves that there are no dumb questions, and there are many things we could be asking about.