So, picture this: Your student (or even your own teenager) walks through the door. Any of this sound familiar?

You:  “Hey, Maria/Johnny! How was your day?”

Them: “Good.”

You: “Are you excited about Anna’s party this weekend?”

Them: “Yeah.”

You: “Hey, Maria/Johnny! How’s that book you’re reading?”

Them: “Good.”

You: “Well…that’s neat.”

Sometimes teens are just a tad short-winded and leave you guessing with their communication. Other times you can’t get them to stop talking. But when it comes to gauging a student’s academic understanding or ambition, sometimes it’s helpful to have the right questions available to ask. Here are some great ones to get you and that teenager on the road towards a meaningful conversation. They’re designed for books, but just think of the possibilities if you used their structure to ask questions about other things you’d like to discover about that great kid. Pretty soon you’ll have a chatty teen on your hands. (Good luck with that.)