When a student asks a question, respond with respect. We need not spend five minutes answering an irrelevant question, but we can still be courteous by offering to discuss the matter with the student after class. Be open to student questions. Students appreciate it when we are open to questions and willing to answer questions. It is important, then, to encourage students to ask questions and help them to learn to frame questions that get the kinds of information they need in order to learn.
Students appreciate the opportunity to engage in well-planned class discussion and class activities.
Thus, if we want students to participate in our class, we need to use various strategies to stimulate their participation. In some instances, we might highlight important information from their reading or from the large lecture class to help them identify areas where they need additional explanation. In other cases, we might have them write briefly or participate in small group exercises as a way of helping them identify their needs and focus their thoughts prior to their active participation in your class. An exchange of ideas of all sorts is a natural part of an academic environment and students need to feel comfortable with this exchange, not threatened by it. A lot of their comfort, however, depends on our creating a nurturing environment and clarifying our expectations for participation.