Probing questions are initiated by the instructor and requires the student to think beyond the initial response. It directs, develops, or refocuses the student's response. Phrasing problems can mislead or confuse your students. These questions usually begin with auxiliary verbs are, is, could, would, does, do, can and was. Unfortunately, studies show this form is used often in classroom settings.
Ambiguous questions are unclear and unfair.
Compound questions tend to include too many factors and or pose several questions for students to consider at once. The solution to avoiding this type of question is to make sure your questions contain only one main idea. Since the classroom is a social system, it' s very easy for TAs and students to quickly learn to expect certain behaviors of one another. For example, when students are not used to having an instructor ask them specific questions or give them sufficient wait time, they may not immediately respond. Letting students know the purpose of any changes you plan to make in the classroom or in your teaching behavior helps orient students to change and increases the likelihood of their full cooperation.