Ask a Stupid Question Day was created by teachers in the 1980's to encourage students to ask more questions in the classroom. Teachers felt that kids sometimes held back from asking questions for fear their questions were stupid and would result in ridicule.
Teachers have always tried to tell us "There are no stupid questions", but I'm firm believer that there are, indeed, stupid questions!
When I was in the sixth or seventh grade, our Science teacher, Mrs. Ruminer, was pregnant and getting ready to go on maternity leave. (I always thought she was ancient, but she was probably in her late twenties or early thirties.) Anyway, she asked us if we had any questions for her about the baby. I'm sure she was thinking we would ask "Is it a boy or a girl?", or "What are you going to name it?" Instead, one particularly naive student raised his hand. (I still remember his name, but I won't reveal it!)
"I have a question," he said. "There's a girl that lives down the street from me that's pregnant. She's only sixteen and she's not even married. How can that be?"
I don't recall anyone laughing, but we wanted to! I do remember thinking, "Yeah, Mrs. Ruminer ... field that question!!" She quickly decided we didn't have enough time for questions about babies, and we moved on to school work. You probably assume that I'm implying that my classmate asked a stupid question.
Au contraire!
I think Mrs. Ruminer asked a doozie!!
So you see, boys and girls, teachers might tell you there is no such thing as a stupid question, but I think we all know that's not really true!
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