Question box

I got the idea from a peace corps friend of mine to start a question box in my classroom and it's been a huge success. It's a simple cardboard box with a slit at the top where students can put any question they have about school, life, America, or anything. When I have extra time left in a period I use it to answer the questions. It's been a great way to share American culture and teach the students about topics they typically don't learn in school or things they are curious about. It also lets me know some of the things they believe and what they are thinking about. I get a lot of questions about American musicians. Even more about Obama. And I constantly get asked if there are black people in America. Here are some of my favorite questions that I have found in the box. And in italics some of my thoughts about them. 

Q: Can you fly? 

I wish!

Q: Are you a satanist?

A: No

Q: Are you a Christian? If you are a Christian why you don't respect yourself about dressing? Sometimes I see you while you are in leggings. Are you normal? 

Good to know that my students think I dress scandalously and also think I'm abnormal (it's culturally inappropriate for women here to wear anything besides long skirts). I spent a good 15 minutes answering this one and explaining that in America it's okay for women to wear pants. Even to church. They were shocked. 

Q: In America where do you put the people that died?

This wasn't too odd of a question but as I answered it I realized how odd of an answer it was for them. They completely followed and understood when I explained about putting dead people in a coffin and burying it in the ground- they do the same here. But then I explained that some people choose to be cremated instead. I told them that these people decide they want their dead body set on fire until it turns to ashes. Then we usually throw those ashes in a ocean or outside somewhere. As I explained what cremation was I got a lot of gasps, wide eyes, and unbelieving faces. They definitely think I'm a satanist now. 

And this is, so far, my all-time favorite question:

Q: White people they use plastic cups in order to avoid to be burnt their lips. So why has you given is a steel cups? Do you think that we cannot burnt our lips?

 

Ummmm. What? I have never used a cup during class, give a cup to any student, or seen a steel cup anywhere in Malawi. This one stumped me. Where do they come up with this stuff!? 

I love the question box. It leads to a lot of laughs and some really interesting conversations with my class.