10/02/2026
I made the mistake of asking, “Does anybody have a question?”
If you’ve ever taught kindergarten, you already know what happened next.
I had just finished explaining an activity. I thought I had been pretty clear, but after 24 years of teaching, I know better than to assume everybody followed along. So I looked around the carpet and asked the question teachers have been asking since the beginning of time.
“Does anybody have a question?”
Every hand went up.
For about three seconds, I felt pretty good about this. Look at all these engaged learners seeking clarification.
I called on the first child.
“My grandma has a cat.”
Okay.
“That’s nice, buddy, but remember, a question is something you want me to answer. Does anybody have a question about what we’re getting ready to do?”
Several hands stayed up. I called on somebody else.
“My birthday is in March.”
We were not doing a birthday activity. It was not March. I had absolutely no idea how we had gotten here.
I tried again. “Remember, a question is when you’re ASKING me something.”
A little girl’s hand shot up. She clearly understood.
“Mr. Stark?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know my grandma?”
Now, technically, she had followed directions perfectly.
“No, I don’t think I do.”
“She has a dog.”
We were back to grandmothers and pets.
Kindergarten conversations have always fascinated me because five-year-olds rarely seem bothered by the fact that the rest of us have no idea what they’re talking about. Adults feel obligated to provide context. Kindergarteners start halfway through a story and trust you to catch up.
“My dad got a new one.”
A new what?
“It’s blue.”
Still need more information.
“He said I can’t touch it.”
We may never know.
Questions work the same way. Somewhere along the line, kindergarteners discover that adding “Did you know…” to the beginning of absolutely anything turns it into a legitimate classroom question.
“Did you know I had pancakes?”
“Did you know my shoe lights up?”
“Did you know my cousin is six?”
I did not know any of those things. I’m glad we finally got them on the record.
My favorite version is the child who raises a hand and announces, “I have a question.”
“Okay. What’s your question?”
“My question is…”
There is a long pause while the child apparently searches through every thought they have ever had.
“…I got new shoes.”
That is not a question.
“Yes it is.”
At some point, you stop fighting it.
The funny thing is, I know there will come a day when getting kids to talk will be harder. Older students start worrying about whether their question sounds silly. They wonder what everybody else will think. They become much more careful about raising their hands.
Kindergarteners have no such concern.
They will ask. They will tell. They will announce. They will explain. They will provide updates about Grandma’s dog, Dad’s truck and the loose tooth you have already inspected four times that morning. They assume the things happening in their lives are worth telling somebody about.
Most of the time, they’re right.
Twenty-four years from now, I doubt I’ll remember the directions I was giving that morning. I’ll probably still remember what it feels like to sit in front of a carpet full of little kids with 20 hands in the air, knowing perfectly well that maybe two of them actually have a question.
So yes, buddy. Tell me about your grandma’s cat.
Just let me finish the directions first. 😂
Teachers, what’s the funniest response you’ve ever gotten after asking, “Does anybody have a question?” Parents, what completely unrelated information does your child NEED to tell you right in the middle of something else? 😂👇
