The art of questioning

I know… There is nothing new. Plato used the "Maieutics" long time ago. The method seems really basic, just keep asking questions until the students discover by their own answer the knowledge. It could see also old fashion, but it works!!!!
After attending a Professional Development I started to apply this technique. Your first impulse is going to be to grab the pencil of the students and scream: "I will do it, it is so easy, just add those two terms and you will get the answer…" However, if you cool your jets, if you achieve to be patient enough… and you have the ability to ask the right question you will be really surprise.
It is not easy to come up with the right question. When a student says "x+x is equal x or 1 or 0 or I don't know". You shouldn't ask: "Are you sure it is not just 2x?". You need to develop the ability to keep asking question kind of: "Ok, so how much is 2 + 2?" "and 3 + 3?" "Could you express that just in general?" What's the meaning of the x?"
You also discover where your student got lost, what misconception he or she had… and you can treat the problem from the root!!!
I know, it takes time and we don't have time…
But What's the real purpose of Education?