Pet Peeve ...I do not know

Ok do you know THOSE teachers who have HUGE pet peeves?  Shhh that is me!  I am honest with the kids and try to tell them up front my peeves.  They are going to work for bosses that they have to learn to deal with and a teacher is the same.  I am not going into all of my peeves neurosis but I want to share with you a solution to one of them

Me….what is a ……    Student…..looking bored….. I do not know.  Somewhere in most student’s academic careers they have been allowed to answer a question with I DO NOT KNOW.  I despise this.  Yes, they may not have the perfect answer but I do not know is a cop out and really it is the same as I do not care.  The past couple of years I have been working on not allowing this and giving prompts and other questions to engage all students.  The key is I HAVE BEEN WORKING.  This summer it hit me I was the one doing the work.  I heard a speaker this summer say “never work harder than your students.”  Think about this….never work harder than the kids….WOW  WOW WOW.  I love this idea. 

With that thought in mind NEVER WORK HARDER THAN THE KIDS I created this poster.  I know I borrowed stole the idea but I have no idea from where.  If you are the creator please let me know and I will give credit.  This was a super-fast project in paint and it gives the kids visual clues for questions to ask.  I plan on posting a large poster at the front of the classroom and a small one on each table laminated. 

Now the first student who says….I do not know…..My head may spin.

How do you get your students to not say I DO NOT KNOW?  What are your peeves?