Curiosity in Schools
with Bryan Goodwin and Tonia Gibson

Curiosity and motivation to learn are powerful predictors of student success―more powerful even than IQ, persistence or teacher quality. Yet research shows that the longer students stay in school, the less curiosity and motivation they demonstrate. Why is that? And what might happen if we made a concerted effort to re-ignite student curiosity in all our classrooms? Might everything about teaching and learning get easier…and even more joyful?

In this session, we’ll give an overview of what curiosity is, how it works, the differences between superficial curiosity and deeper inquiry-based curiosity, and what factors help and hinder its strength and usefulness in our lives—particularly in schools. We’ll also discuss the important connections between curiosity, social-emotional learning, and student and staff well-being.

And we’ll see how curiosity plays an integral role in a unique approach to school improvement, one that “flips the script” on traditional improvement efforts, working from the inside out rather than forcing compliance with externally imposed mandates and programs.

At the end of Session 1, participants will receive a “homework” assignment: Over the next two weeks, spend some time observing students at your school and make a list of the types of lessons, activities, questions, or other factors that seem to really spark student curiosity. During Session 2, we’ll share some of your insights and identify practical strategies you can use to create and sustain curiosity in your classrooms.

Building on the learning from Session 1, this session will engage teachers in learning how to craft and deliver sequences of learning that spark and sustain students’ curiosity—and how to leverage that curiosity to deepen and extend their learning.

Drawing on cognitive science , we’ll explore how our students’ brains process new information and recall and apply stored knowledge—and the key role curiosity plays in this cognitive system. We’ll share how teachers can use this understanding to design opportunities to learn in a manner that will better capture students’ initial interest and curiosity in a topic, help them processes and store their learning, and help them extend and apply their newfound knowledge.

We’ll also spend some time on highlighting the close connection between curiosity and higher-order questioning strategies, providing practical tips and ideas to help you ask deeper-level questions of your students and how to help your students ask better questions themselves about their own learning.

At the end of Session 2, participants will receive a “homework” assignment: Over the next two weeks, use some of the strategies learned and reflect on the outcome. What worked well and what didn’t? How did you gauge your students’ level of curiosity? What might you try differently next time to get a better result? During Session 3, we’ll share some of your insights and discuss ways you can use your own curiosity to collaborate with teacher colleagues to identify instructional bright spots, refine your professional practices, and share them widely across your school.

Curiosity in adults can help improve professional capacity and practices (and even overall life satisfaction and wellness). Building on the learning from Session 2, we’ll explore ways that teachers and school leaders can encourage and support professional curiosity and inquiry.

We’ll present a model for a collegial peer observation and coaching process that teachers can use to observe each other “in action” and identify what’s working (and what could work better) in their school to engage students and unleash curiosity.

We’ll also share some simple shifts that principals and teacher leaders can make to promote inquiry-driven professional learning and engage the entire school community in strengthening and “owning” their school’s core values, mission, and vision. You’ll leave this session with a simple tool that school leaders and teachers can use, together, to engage in inquiry-based learning to collaboratively identify your next step toward creating a more innovative school that unleashes student and teacher motivation to develop and improve from the inside out—starting with their curiosity.