I know I hate it and I also know I can't be the only one.

Asking questions, or asking for help.

It sucks. It makes you feel stupid but I want to ask you why it makes you feel stupid? For me, it's because sometimes after I ask my question the person answering assumes I'm a complete idiot and treats me like one. Other times it's because I'm not sure what I don't know or I'm not sure how to ask a good question to get the answer I need. Or it could be that I know it's a simple concept but with the amount of sleep I had last night, even simple addition takes a moment for me to grasp. It could literally be anything but conjuring up the courage I need to raise my hand or speak out isn't always there.

What I hope to do is open your mind, whether you are the question asker or answerer, to the true and important meaning behind questions.

We all know one kid or have heard the stories of the "Why?" phase. In fact, we all probably went through it ourselves. It's when you're a kid and you kind of start to understand stuff and you begin to realize just how little you understand, so you want to understand everything. Which can get annoying for everyone else in your life, but you're just so excited to learn how a door works or why there are rainbows in the sky only sometimes or literally any and everything. This phase ends though, whether it's because you realize that knowing everything is too much, or people stop answering your questions, or people tell you to stop asking, or a mixture of these and other things. Somehow it stops. Then you learn to raise your hand in class and ask questions again but they can't be about random things, they need to be on the topic your learning. And so, quesitons become a part of learning again but not in the way they were.

What I have found recently is that sometimes when I ask questions about what's going on in the classroom I am given this look and then the explaining begins from the beginning and goes all the way to the end - but that wasn't my question and now I'm even more confused than I was. I can't ask another question though because the person I just asked think's I'm an idiot or maybe they don't but they just talked down to me in a way and explained it in a way that it seemed that they assumed I was. I hate it because I just want to understand and learn - but I almost feel ashamed.

So what I ask of those who answer questions, answer the question, if you don't understand what they are trying to ask then ask them to clarify. Try to help them understand the problem better ask them simple questions back to see if they are starting to understand or are still confused. Sometimes you may not mean to come off as "above" or "not caring" or any other negative stereotypes that come with the "condescending" attitude that sometimes comes off from the answerer but do your best and we question askers will try to understand.

And for those who ask questions, if you really need them to start from the beginning tell them that. If you just have a question that you aren't sure how to ask maybe start with what you understand and then go to the point where you get lost so the answerer can follow along with your thinking process and maybe help you understand better.

For the observers, when a question is asked in class it may be the question you had - which is great! But if it's one of those "stupid" questions or any other question for that matter try to answer it yourself and see how it compares with who is answering the quesiton. Do you understand the concept in question well? Or could you use some more clarifying as well?

I am no expert as asking or answering questions but for those who sometimes encounter that answerer who treats you like you probably don't belond there, remember that this is probably their strong subject, and your weak subject, and you proabably are good at something that they stuggle with. And that you aren't stupid either. Trust me.