Getting stuck with lower level questions

Barry and King's chapter on Questioning and Responding from their book Beginning Teaching and Beyond, found in Week Six's reading was interesting. Their points made perfect sense to me. I was all ready to apply their techniques in the classroom today. There was a snag. I think this applies to teaching in general -- you cant ask engaging or higher level questions when you do not know your topic. Be prepared!

In today's prac my teacher was absent and had left a very brief lesson plan for the relief teachers. I too was thrown into the mix in the second period, asked to look after the students' English class when the relief teacher didn't turn up (eventually she did). The boys were up to the last chapters of their novel and we did a shared reading of two of them. Before we started reading, I asked them to tell me about the story so I had an idea what it was about. It acted as a refresher for both me and the students. I then asked a student to start the reading and kept calling on new readers after two or three pars were read. After each chapter I asked them to recite the story we had just heard as a way to test they were listening. Thankfully hands shot up with many eager to offer their answers. The boys were paying attention, comprehending. Based on what I had read in the two chapters I quizzed them on what we had read.

But I felt my questions were at the fact (lower) level. There was something ungratifying in asking them but I had no choice given the unfamiliarity of the topic. It certainly got me out of a pickle, but when I return to teach English for the 3 week block in June I hope to have at least read the novel so, armed with a prepared plan and total knowledge of a subject area, I can develop more cognitive based questions -- not just for the kids but for my own sake. Then it will be far more interesting and rewarding. Well, that's my thinking. I'll see whether proves to be the case in due course.