Let Me Think About That: Why I love a question of the day

“What was your last inexplicable purchase?” 

Hold on. Let me think about that. 

Then it comes to me: “A four-foot tall Minion balloon that walks on its own.”

I love when teachers offer a question of the day — the simple interaction is one of my favorite parts of the school day. 

There’s nothing worse than immediately pulling out your notebook and copying notes from a PowerPoint when the minute music ends. A question of the day is the ultimate transition into class. It could take either a few minutes or 20 minutes. In that time, my mind refreshes as I listen to my classmates cycle through the question while I slowly take out my notebook and select the pen I’ll use that day. 

I also get to know my classmates in a new way. I’ve been in the same class with some of them since middle school, but I really don’t know the first thing about them other than what water bottle they have or if they are good at Kahoot. Without a question of the day, how would you find out that your classmates were given a safe from their grandparents for their 10th birthday? Or that another became sick after eating shrimp sold to her grandma on a beach in Mexico?

And for yourself, there’s nothing better than being able to whip out that one obscure story you’ve been waiting to tell your whole life. I’ve been able to tell the story when I knowingly sang out the wrong lyrics of a Lana Del Rey song in-front of my then-LDR-superfan sister, who immediately paused the music to make me repeat what I had said. 

I barely remember the end-of-semester project I completed in freshman year English. But I can tell you a dozen stories of funny responses to the question of the day in that class. Was I still scared to give my response each time because I was an awkward freshman? Maybe. But regardless I enjoyed hearing everyone’s responses and not having the worry of potentially answering the question incorrectly. 

I’ve raised my hand confidently in math only to give the wrong answer. And my French pronunciation is a dead-giveaway that I have no French heritage. But at least my answer to the question of the day was right. Only I can answer for myself and that’s what’s so great about it. I have a chance to contribute and no one can say that I’m wrong. 

We’re teenagers — all self-absorbed and not wanting to be wrong about anything. This is the chance to be fully honest and you can’t be wrong no matter what you say. 

So what was your last inexplicable purchase?

I’ll listen.