The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

The Fat and Skinny of It

by Dan Azzarello

At the end of the day, I always look forward to going home. My beautiful wife is normally preparing dinner, and our two children are doing what typical toddlers do. When I come in the back door, my kids greet me similar to how Mickey Mouse is greeted at Disneyland. They come running, shouting and jumping. This makes my day, because I know that their excitement is real. Occasionally, I will walk in the door, they will see me and go back to playing; then my wife cues them and they come running. This is nice, but I know it is forced and it does not mean as much as when they do it on their own.

It is always more rewarding for a teacher to know that his student truly understands a concept. When a student requires in depth prodding or simply memorizes a list of facts to pass an exam, it should cause us to question our teaching methods. Are we training our students for Jeopardy, or are we preparing them to serve God in whatever capacity He has for them?

So what is the best way to see if your students truly understand? By asking your students good questions before, after and during the lesson, you can better their understanding. Questions can be broken down into two very simple categories, Fat and Skinny questions.

A skinny question has a definite answer. For example:
Question: Who is the governor of California?
Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger

A fat question can have many different answers. For example:
Question: How different would our nation be today if California were not a state?
Answer: Answers will vary

Opening your class with a fat question will get the attention of your students and put them in the right mindset. It will often lead to classroom discussion, which is a huge plus. Remember, there is not just one right answer for a fat question. This will also help your students develop critical thinking.

For the most part, quizzes and tests are filled with skinny questions. Fact after fact are given, memorized and forgotten. This is not teaching. Skinny questions should not be abolished; however, they should not be the only questions that are asked. A skinny education is not real education and will leave you guessing just how much of an impact you truly have on the lives of your students. We are not teaching for a test, we are teaching for life.

If my children had to be cued each time I walked in the door to greet me, I would wonder if they were excited to see me. Sure, they can say the right things, but their actions speak louder than their words.

About the Author: Dan Azzarello has been the principal at North Valley since 2003. He graduated from Golden State Baptist College with a degree in secondary education. He is the athletic director and Bible instructor in the high school. He and his wife, Genny, have been married since 2001. They have three beautiful children, Brooklynn, Dominic, and Jaclynn.