Question box

Key messages

• The question box is a highly recommended tool for RSE lessons (and beyond). 
• A step-by-step guide to setting up a question box is provided. 
• Tips for answering questions are provided. 

Why use a question box?

The anonymous question box is a highly recommended educational tool used by sexual health educators.

This allows students to:

• ask questions in a confidential way (which they may feel too embarrassed or unsafe to ask out loud)
• clarify information they may not have fully understood
• feel reassured that other students have similar questions
• raise topics that are important and relevant to them that may have been missed in planned lessons.

It can help teachers to:

• model a safe and non-judgemental space
• assess knowledge and address gaps in future planning
• address misconceptions
• revise content - little and often to ensure students have a deeper understanding of topics
• cover a wide range of content in a short space of time
• address the emergent curriculum - topics that arise during lessons that are of interest to students.

Setting up the question box

1. Create a question box

• A question box can be made out of an old box with a lid (e.g. a shoe box) or it can be a hat, a pillowcase, a bag, etc.
•  The item must be something that is not see through (e.g. a fishbowl) to ensure confidentiality.

2. Explain to students how the question box activity works

• Everyone will receive a blank piece of paper and have a few minutes to write down a relationship/sexual health related question.
• If you do not have a question, draw a happy face or write a funny joke so that everyone has something written on their piece of paper.
• Please remember the group agreement when writing questions.
• Everyone will place their paper in the question box as I bring it around (or as they leave the classroom).
• The questions will be answered during the next class.

2. Collect the questions 

• Read the questions before the following session to allow time to prepare answers. 
• This can be particularly useful if you are concerned about any 'curly' questions.

Tips for answering questions

Accept all questions as genuine.

• For sexuality education to be effective and relevant for students, it is vital that teachers genuinely accept students' questions.
• There is no such thing as a silly question - questions that may appear to be asked to 'get a laugh', may be genuine questions and should be treated as such. 

Be honest

• Answer all questions honestly.
• If you are not sure of the answer to a question, be honest and tell the class you are unsure and will follow this up prior to the next class. 
• Alternatively, you can direct students to other sources of information. This is a great way to model help-seeking behaviours and remind students of the importance of using reliable and credible resources. 
• Ensure that all answers are age appropriate.

Provide simple and concise answers

• Answer questions accurately and use plain language. 
• It is important to not overload students with too much information. 
• Students can always ask for further information with additional questions in the question box.

Be non-judgmental

• Provide a simple and correct answer free of judgement.
• Be aware of what messages students may be receiving from your body language.

Group questions into common themes

• Questions can be sighted by the teacher well in advance of the lesson, giving the opportunity to group similar questions together and prepare answers to questions.
• It can be helpful to let students know that you have a number of questions around a similar topic so that they are reassured that they are not the only ones seeking the same information. 
•  Multiple questions on a similar topic may also indicate that further lessons are required on the topic.

Invite volunteers to offer answers to questions

• Prior to answering a question, students could be asked for possible answers. This technique must be used carefully and the teacher needs to know the class well to ensure that the student answering the question is in a safe space to answer (i.e. that they are not at risk of judgement from other students for knowing (or not knowing) the correct answer).
• ONLY volunteers should be asked to given answers.

Questions that are unclear

• If questions are based on incorrect facts, use this as an opportunity to address misconceptions or misunderstandings.
• If a question is unclear, read the question to the class and offer the chance for the person to anonymously clarify what the were asking the next time the class are writing questions for the question box 
  • e.g. Read the question aloud and say, 'I am not quite sure what this question is about. Perhaps the person who wrote it can give me a little more detail when we write our next round of anonymous questions at the end of this session.

Aim to be unshockable

• Some students may attempt to write questions intended to provoke a response by the teacher or students. 
• Remaining 'unshockable' (particularly during the first question box session) usually prevents this from happening again and often young people genuinely want to know the answer to these questions.

If students ask a question during a lesson

• Make sure you understand exactly what the student is asking. For example, a kindergarten student might ask,"Where do I come from?".  Before going into a detailed explanation about how babies are made, ask the student to tell you what they already know. From this information you can then gauge an age appropriate answer. The student might simply be asking if they are from Perth or Sydney.
• Re-phrase the question to check that you are answering the question the student has asked.
• Before answering a student's question, consider whether it is appropriate to respond in front of the whole class or whether a private discussion with the student or a suggestion for them to speak to their parents may be a better option.

Read next

Answering curly questions

Scripted answers to FAQ