.....Asking the Wrong Question

I had to read this quote several times to understand what the author was trying to say.  When I think of my students, I recall asking them time after time, "are there any questions before I move on?"  I wait patiently, scan the room, and then move forward. The questions do not begin to roll until I assign a task, something as simple as writing three sentences based upon their understanding of the lesson that was covered for that day. I decided to try a different approach, and I began offering small rewards for asking questions.  Not only do I reward students for asking questions, I offer a reward to another student for giving the correct answer.  "Rewards" can be something simple such a bag of fruit snacks, or 5 points added to a homework assignment.  I have always been told that there is no such thing as a "dumb" question, but I digress to say that not asking questions, for lack of a better term is a little "dumb".  As a learner, it takes me a while to understand concepts, and I may have to ask a question to get clarity. I realize that my students are often teased or ridiculed when they ask questions out loud, so I placed a little box on my desk that they can drop questions in and I respond to them independently which I have found helps as well.  My belief is the more questions you ask, the more answers you receive, which adds up to the "more you know".