Showing students that it’s OK to ask questions

Last year, while teaching an introductory biology course, I received a question I could not immediately answer. We were discussing receptor-mediated endocytosis, the process by which cells internalize specific molecules, when a student raised their hand and asked, “Is there such a thing as receptor-mediated exocytosis?”

I was stumped. I admitted that I did not know but promised to find out.

Courtesy of William Mills

Assistant professor William Mills examines an agar plate with undergraduate student Dominic Bell in a microbiology lab at Mount St. Mary's University in 2026.

That night, I researched the topic and was surprised by what I found. Not only does receptor-mediated exocytosis exist, but it plays a critical biological role. One way babies acquire immunity during pregnancy is through this process: maternal antibodies are internalized on the mother’s side of the placenta, bound by specific receptors and released on the fetal side, where they circulate and support early immune protection.

With this new information in hand, I updated my slides for the next class to include this example. I was eager to share what I had learned with my students.

What stayed with me even more than the story itself was the reaction of the student who had asked the question. Their expression made it clear that they felt seen, that their curiosity mattered enough for me to pursue an answer and share it with the class.

After that, I noticed that the student, along with many of their peers, began asking more thoughtful questions. When they stumped me, I researched the answers and shared what I learned in the next class. I labeled these slides “If you were curious…” to signal that the material would not be tested but was still worth exploring.

Beyond offering real-world applications, this practice allows students to see me learning alongside them. Many students assume professors know everything, which can make them hesitant to ask questions. When I openly admit uncertainty and model how I seek answers, students become more comfortable asking about what they do not yet understand.

Course evaluations later confirmed this shift. One student wrote that I was “always willing to find answers to questions (I) was not sure about,” while another noted that I “went out of (my) way to make sure student curiosities got answered.”

By the end of the semester, “If you were curious …” slides appeared throughout my lectures, and I plan to keep adding them as new questions arise. My hope is that they do more than highlight relevance. I want them to signal that curiosity is welcome and that not knowing is a shared starting point, not a weakness.