Questioning?

When you think back to the last time you were a student, how did the teacher keep you thinking? How did they keep you engaged? I know that my teachers would always ask questions in hopes to keep me engaged. There were the teachers that would ask too many questions, and I would get frustrated. What do you remember thinking when the teacher would ask an open ended questions in the class? How did you use to feel if you got called on to answer the question. 

 I know that this is something that I am going to struggle with as an educator. I am worried that I will ask too many questions and frustrate my students. I don’t want to ask too many questions. I am afraid that my students will be able to predict my teaching, and know when I am going to ask a question. I don’t want to call out a student to answer a question, because what if they don’t know or get nervous? I imagine that I will use the “phone a friend” strategy. I just have a feeling i'll be asking questions and the same student will raise their hands, any everyone else will be avoiding eye contact with me. 

I like the strategy of "thinking time" I think that this is the most fair to the students. I also think that the time given will give the students to think more about what to say if they get called on to answer. Something that I remember happening in high school is having a cup with names in it. She had all the students names written on close pins, and had them clipped to the side of the cup, when she would pick a random name, she would unclip it , and put it in the cup. I like this idea, to keep it fair, and to keep it random. I don't know if this will be an issue for me, but it is something that I am thinking about before hand, what happens if I find myself calling on the same students? That is why I am thinking that I will have a random name cup or something similar. I would ask the question, give the students "thinking time" and then spin the wheel, or pick from the cup.  

Those of you that are teachers, how do you know what questions to ask your students? What is your method when you ask a question, and the students are avoiding eye contact?

Students, do you think it is helpful when teachers ask multiple questions during the lesson?

What methods do you all use for calling on students in your classrooms?