An (unexpected) wonder of Winsome

“ Names have power” Rick Riordan (The Lightening Thief)

She was always going to be ‘Winsome’ ,  the curious girl who inhabited my head for a long time before I wrote her into existence.  Maybe it was the alliteration, or the fact that the name itself represents a kind of innocence and lightness - wherever she came from, she was simply there.  She was Winsome, she was so clear in my imagination, and she was born wondering. 

From “The Wonder of Winsome’ by Kath Murdoch. illustrated by Sharyn Madder (2021)

Since publishing the book last year I have had so many delightful conversations with children about it. One of the first questions I hear is “Where did her name come from?” or ‘Why did you call her that?”  It seems that the name itself provokes wondering – it’s a welcome, albeit unexpected, outcome of publishing the story almost a year ago.  These questions have led to some beautiful conversations about names and how writers create their characters and how the name helps bring the person alive in your mind and, hopefully, in your readers’ minds too. 

 Ultimately, a writer hopes to connect with their readers in some way.  I am fortunate to work regularly in schools and have children and teachers talk to me about the way they feel about the story - but there has been one, quite different response I will never forget -one outcome of writing this book I could never have predicted and one gift that Winsome quietly gave, simply because she was called Winsome. 

……………….

One warm summer’s day earlier this year, when the streets of inner Melbourne remained empty and the doors of the magnificent state library were closed to the public, the staff continued to work with their ever-growing collection – receiving, cataloguing and shelving new books.  On this particular day, a staff member was assigned to the children’s book section and busily began the process.  Working her way through the new stack of titles, she picked up ‘The Wonder of Winsome’ and found herself, for the first time, seeing her name on the cover of a book.  Her response to that moment held such significance, she wrote to me: 

“ Holding the book for the first time a rather emotional moment for me...I have never seen another book with my name in it- I would buy books for my children with their names in them but I have never had one of my own. I was teased a lot at school because of my name (Win some, lose some, Winnie the Pooh) and even now as a 54 year old, I have at least one conversation a week about it with lots of people questioning it or making comments about my 'strange name'. I love your book for many reasons...I looked very similar to 'Winsome' at that age (same haircut, same face) and I am also very curious by nature (a self-confessed 'bookaholic', and I love study...I already have two degrees and other various certificates and course completions and am just about to embark on yet another course...). Thank you for writing your beautiful book.”

A couple of weeks later, I headed to the state library (now tentatively open to the public) with a copy of the book tucked under my arm, eager to meet Winsome herself.  It was a strangely emotional moment.  

Sitting in the glorious ‘dome’ room in which I’d spent so many hours reading and writing as a university student, the ‘real life’ Winsome told me a little more about her own story. As she spoke, I was reminded of the hidden power of names – of the ways we see ourselves in relation to the ways others see us and of the identities we attach to our names. I myself, spent my primary school years as Kathleen. The name my family called me and the name my friends called me were one and the same.  Perhaps as a reflection of our need to forge a separate identity in our teens, I became ‘Kathy’ for several years in high school until a teacher I absolutely adored (and who helped me see myself as a writer) called me Kath. From then on, I was Kath.  Our names can signify so much about the relationship we have with others and even with ourselves. Certain friends and family still call me Kathleen (and it would be odd if they didn’t) but when someone calls me ‘Kathy’ it jars … it’s more than simply not my name, it’s not ME. It’s not who I am.  For my new ‘real life’ Winsome, seeing her name used in such a celebratory and positive way seemed to signify a shift in how she could see herself – how she could choose to see, and feel, her beautiful name. 

Winsome and Winsome …

When I work in classrooms, I insist the children have name tags. I know the power of using their names. It is an instant bridge builder, a show of respect, a force for inclusivity and an opportunity to connect to culture. Our names do indeed, have power – the power to help us feel seen and loved and the power to be used as weapons of indifference (when they are forgotten or not used) or even worse, humiliation.  Talking to Winsome that day reminded me of the inextricable link between our names and our identity and how important it is for us to be reminded of that as educators. When we talked, Winsome said she felt a kind of ‘reclaiming’ of the name with which he had had such a conflicted relationship.  And in reclaiming our names, we can also begin reclaim the self that may have once felt unseen or misunderstood. 

 Among my favourite inquiries has long been to offer learners an opportunity to investigate their own names – the origin, meaning, cultural significance, and to share their learning with others which, in turn, can help contribute to the development of a strong, connected community. 

 I remain so grateful to whatever it was that brought the name Winsome to me. This little girl I manifested onto the page whose name held more power than I could have imagined.  

How have the power of names found their way into your teaching and learning experiences?

Just wondering …

(With thanks to ‘the real life Winsome’ who so generously gave me permission to share this story.)

7 Lessons from deep in the inquiry trenches...

Who else is flexing their inquiry muscles right now? As we all rapidly transition to teaching online or trying to support our learners at a distance (not all kids around the world have access to internet and devices #justsaying) teachers everywhere are immersed in personal inquiry. I am no exception. In this post, I am sharing some of the things I am noticing as I inquire - and how they are serving to remind me of some essential ingredients of this beautiful, messy process. It can be easy to reduce inquiry to a shallow set of strategies or an easy cycle to spin through or a bunch of characteristics and platitudes…I’ve been guilty of that myself at times. But the reality- when you are IN it, is complex, nuanced, layered and rich. And frustrating too. Some thoughts from my own internal ‘trenches’ this week!

1. I’m noticing: I have a real need to inquire – I am motivated by purpose. 

 In just two weeks my 2020 work schedule went from having a long wait-list to a few tentative, online workshops and what feels like the vain hope of a resumption of work later in the year. As the family ‘breadwinner’ this unexpected situation prompted a sense of real urgency for me to be creative, adaptive, agile and most of all to INQUIRE.  My driving question was easy to formulate “How might I effectively transition the work I do face-to-face to a distance learning context?”  I sure am curious and motivated (panicked?).  I NEED to find out about this – I have a purpose that is not only for me but, more importantly, my purpose is about supporting my family.  Would I have a sustained interest and desire to learn about online facilitation had there been no real purpose for me? Probably not. Would I have fully engaged with this inquiry if some well-meaning ‘teacher’ told me I had to?  I doubt it. I am doing this because I can see the value and purpose in it. 

Reminder:  Powerful inquiry is driven by real purpose and the learner’s desire to make a difference to their lives and the lives of others.

2. I’m noticing: My learning journey is messy – but I am moving through a process. 

I certainly did not map out a step by step sequence of tasks to support myself on this journey so far (oh to have time to plan!) BUT when I reflect on what I have been doing, I can see how I have engaged in the elements I so often share with teachers and kids.  Of course, I have had to tune in to what I already know. I have spent time assessing what I CAN do (I have used ZOOM and padlet before, I am OK with social media, etc.etc.) This prior experience is so important in giving me a starting point for my inquiry.  I have found out in so many different ways – trial and error, viewing clips, reading posts and articles, asking experts (thank you Dr Jennifer Wathall, Becky Carlson and Karen Boyes ) crowd sourcing (thank you twitter and facebook). I have needed to use a diverse range of research skills but there is no WAY my inquiry would have been successful if I simply googled everything. I really needed to ask questions of people that know about this. Primary data sources have been the most helpful so far.  Time to sort out, process, reflect and meaning make has been essential.  I have done this mostly through talking with others. My husband does a little facilitation work on line so he and I have been reflecting on and talking through our respective discoveries. I have also found myself making lists, diagrams, notes, charts….I have had to STOP every so often, slow down and really make sense of what I am learning alone and with others.  I’ve had to let go of some ideas and embrace new thinking.   One of my most helpful moments this week was an ‘unhurried conversation’ facilitated by Johnnie Moore that allowed fellow facilitators to reflect and share in a really lovely, spacious way. Reflection like this helps deepen my learning. And I am certainly needing to take action – sooner rather than later.  I’ve already conducted a half day workshop.  My action has been as much a part of my ‘finding out’ as it has been application (the cycle is two-way). I have needed to jump in and test out what I am learning in order to feel like my inquiry is worth sticking with. So far so good.  

Reminder: Powerful inquiry is not linear but there is a process. Recognising that we are ultimately moving forward, making meaning and applying our learning is vital in order to feel success.

3. I’m noticing: Skills and dispositions are my most important assets right now!

I am so acutely aware that sustaining this inquiry depends on my capacity to manage myself, collaborate with others, communicate well, think critically, creatively and reflectively and, of course research.  I have needed to be curious, courageous, persistent, resourceful, patient and compassionate (towards myself and others).  My learning skills and dispositions have been the greatest assets I could have right now. And I can feel those “learning muscles” getting a real workout too. When we are on a true journey of inquiry we both depend on AND grow the skills and dispositions we need for all learning. I will be a better learner as a result of this (and a better teacher I hope) 

 Reminder: Powerful inquiry is not just about WHAT we learn but HOW we learn.

4. I’m noticing: I don’t know what I don’t know

Sure – I had some basic prior knowledge and a ‘big question’ to begin with – but as to what I really needed to find out?  Well that was all pretty foggy at the beginning. (And I still consider myself in the fog ..it’s just a little clearer now).  The thing is, the questions driving my inquiry are coming up AS I inquire.  This is something I often notice with kids too, especially when they are engaged in personal inquiry projects.  Somewhat paradoxically, it is not until they start finding out that they know what they need to find out.  Well – that’s been me this week.  I have more questions after I watch a tutorial or read a post than I did before. Inquiry begets inquiry. If I was posting my questions on a wonder wall – it would have started off pretty empty and be really full by now! 

Reminder: Powerful inquiry is driven by questions… but those questions keep emerging throughout the process. We can’t expect kids to define all their questions up front.

5. I’m noticing: I really wrestle with feeling incompetent and uncertain

 Inquiry is all about going into the unknown.  My journeys into the unknown this week have been exhilarating at times – and also really challenging at other times. Last night, during a 3 hour online workshop with a bunch of fabulous educators, there was a point where we were toggling between our zoom screen and another online document. My zoom screen disappeared altogether and I had NO idea how to retrieve it. Meantime, the conversation raced on … as I struggled with my technology, I stopped listening and fell behind really quickly. What an awful feeling! I could feel the motivation draining out of me.  I finally fessed up and admitted I was lost  - but even that was hard.  Inquiry learning is full of moments when the learner is inevitably thrown off course, feeling lost and confused.  Creating a safe space in which learners can say “Hey – I’m lost, I don’t get this, help me out” and slowing down to accommodate those moments is so important.  The inner critic we all have can be very loud at times like these  - I am learning to be kinder to myself.  

Reminder: Powerful inquiry inevitably involves some failure, wrong turns and the need to re-route.  Sustained failure is demotivating.

6. I’m noticing: I don’t want to be talked at for too long. I want to be able to find things out for myself and THEN ask for help!

I have had a few moments over the last week where things have been explained to me … at some length. Like a distracted child, I have found myself doing the online version of rolling around at the back of the mat or daydreaming about something while I ‘listened’.  Lengthy, webinar monologues have not worked for me.  Too much teacher talk.  It has made me think about the oft- used excuse for too much teacher talk/direct instruction early in an inquiry (“We front-load the kids so they have background knowledge and then we let them inquire”). What I have benefited from most is information at the point of need.  I needed people to allow me to ask questions, to check that I understood, to let me play and try and figure things out – THEN explain things that I couldn’t figure out for myself. I loved the moments in Jennie’s workshop yesterday where she would say “Let’s have a play with this – see what you can figure out, help each other out….” Gradually we would work it out together but we did NOT need her to give a lengthy, detailed direct-instruction style monologue – we needed to get in there and play. 

Reminder: Powerful inquiry is something the learner does – not something done to the learner. 

7. I’m noticing: I have welcomed being able to manage my time and learn at my own pace.

It has been so interesting to notice the way I have (and haven’t) managed my time over the last week.  I have gone from being someone who has weeks chock full of scheduled meetings, workshops, flights, collaborative planning sessions. – all mapped out ahead, all organised and timetabled. Suddenly, I have the rare experience of a lot to do BUT, more or less, control over when (and where) I will do those things.  Don’t get me wrong - deadlines have been important.  I will be facilitating workshops on iTime online tomorrow afternoon which in turn has helped me structure my day today. That is keeping me on track to a degree. Bit sometimes I have been able to stay focussed for hours on end and other times I have closed the computer, unable to stick with it …and made myself a cup of tea, hung out with my dog …( or washed my hands …again) before being ready to get back to my learning.    Self pacing is hard- even for me as an adult but it is also welcome. I can’t imagine engaging in this inquiry with a tightly imposed timetable. 

Reminder: While check points/deadlines are helpful, powerful inquiry journeys flow at different paces for different learners.  

 I am hesitant to join the (slightly annoying) chorus of those that champion the benefits the COVID-!9 pandemic is gifting us.  I am far too aware of the tragedy unfolding, the dire circumstances of so many people and the loss from which so many will struggle to recover. I know I am incredibly privileged to even be in the position to write this and to have a moment to reflect.  But while I acknowledge the devastation, I can also acknowledge the lessons I am still learning. The things I need to remind myself.   I can feel myself learning and becoming a better inquiry teacher –  and a better learner.

As teachers, we are all inquiring right now. Let’s notice what’s happening within us as we do.  I’ll keep reflecting and I’ll keep sharing because- as everyone keeps so rightly pointing out – we are all in this together.

 Stay safe….care for yourselves and please - keep wondering. And if you have the energy to share - what lessons are YOU learning about inquiry right now….?

Just wondering…

Guest Post: The Role of Personal Inquiries (iTime) in an Agentive Learning Community

I first met Graham at the International School of Manila many years ago and was struck by his thoughtful, reflective disposition. Graham has been ‘inquiring into inquiry’ ever since - working with children in Manila, Japan and now Saudi Arabia. After hearing about the innovative work he has been doing with his young learners, I invited Graham to write a guest post for this blog.  A keen documenter of his own learning, Graham shares with us some of the insights he has gained as he works on nurturing agency in is learning community. In particular, insights drawn from the experience of ‘iTime’ which offers young learners opportunities to design inquiries into their interests 

From Graham:

Much discussion has taken place in my current, and previous, school about the best place/time for personalised inquiries. Perhaps these discussions are taking place in your school too. Are they necessary? Are personal inquiries using up ‘learning time?’ What do students actually learn? Do the students learn anything? Each year after my first visit to Reggio Emilia and thinking more about the purpose of documentation, I record the story of the class that I work with. The documentation usually reveals a ‘bigger picture’ theme and some unexpected outcomes that challenge assumptions and reveal new possibilities.

I have learned that through listening to the children, valuing and supporting personalised learning, we co-create opportunities for deep, connected understanding. Personalised inquiry helps shine a light simultaneously on the what, the how and the why of learning. 

With the children, we built our understanding of what personalized inquiry, or iTime, meant for us.  This understanding grew and changed as we gave ourselves opportunities and structures to reflect and notice how, what and why we were learning. What became clear to us is that the benefits of iTime were layered, varied and extensive. ITime played a pivotal role in our class community. For us, iTime was about finding a purpose and exploring it independently or in small groups. Children selected projects guided by some prompting questions that led us to consider our purpose, who we were helping, what skills and dispositions we were developing and what connections we were making to other areas of learning. ITime projects were varied throughout the year. The projects ranged from researching and designing class logos and t-shirts so that we could find each other more easily on field trips, to building a wooden ramp for our rabbit cage in our learning space so the rabbits could get more exercise, to designing and building iPad holders so that we could photograph and video the books we read steadily and have free hands to turn pages and operate the iPad, to making movies of stories that had been recently written.

iTime allowed these young learners to inquire into authentic projects of their choice

 The benefits of iTime were, I think, partly a result of the work the children and I did on creating individual schedules for their day. Through observation, reflection, argument, data-collection, discussion and negotiation, they decided on daily schedules that suited their brains and bodies and other relevant considerations. In this context, each child selected a time they would devote to their iTime project.

Nurturing agency by involving learners in designing their day

“With the value and time placed on our iTime, the class community, including the teachers, was able to get to know so much more about each other. Initially, during these times, I was an observer. I was eager to see how the children responded to the proposal of using time to inquire into materials, tools, and projects. Documentation of these sessions was frequent and came in the form of photographs, videos and noting the voices of the children as they interacted with these materials, spaces, peers and tools. Standing back led me to see the children in a different light. Having time to discuss projects and proposals as a community led the children to see themselves and their friends differently too. Connections were made. Inspiration was given and received. Collaborations emerged.

I then began to conference with the children, and it became clearer what their passions were. It became clear what they were curious about building, designing or researching. It was also valuable for us to reflect upon how long projects lasted and how invested the children were in these projects. Noticing and talking about this with the students led us to more discussion about stamina, perseverance, desires, interests and resilience. 

“I just do what she (her friend) is doing. I don’t have an idea (for a project) yet.”

“I do a project each day. It is short. I think… I think that if it is longer it could be better. Like his ramp. Mine is okay but not so good.”

 These iTime projects were also part of what really helped us become more aware of the interconnectedness of our learning. Having our iTime projects structured and supported with our personal data-collection documents, and our self-documentation planning and reflection sheets was helping the children see how what they were learning in different parts of their day was transferable and applicable in other, new ways. For example, "We needed to measure something for our project and then we were learning about measuring in our math and we could measure so much to make our iTime project." We then looked together at our mathematics standards to see how this was connected and realized that what we were learning about was what the standards wanted us to understand. We continued to find out more about measuring through exploration of measurement tools and through applying what we were finding out to the project that prompted the initial inquiry. Interest was sparked and soon others were eager to find out more about measurement.

Planning, documenting and reflecting on personal inquiries is key - individual and small group investigations are the perfect opportunity to highlight the ‘how ‘as well as the ‘what’ of learning.

One concern I had initially about how this whole experience would turn out was that it would perpetuate the idea that learning needs to be segmented into discipline-specific times. On reflection, the opposite may be true. Having our iTime projects play such a huge role in the class and placing such high value on that time has given us reason to notice and act upon the connections that exist and are emerging.

 Providing regular opportunities for young learners to explore their interests and passions has been a vital part of our learning community. For others considering something like this with their students, I offer a few suggestions that have arisen from my own learning:

• Listening: Step back and observe what children’s words and actions are telling you they need. This can be prompted by questions about how, when and why we learn best as a part of inquiring into learning itself. Listening can also help us avoid assumptions and learn more about prior knowledge and experiences of our learners.

• Documenting: Record what is happening in the space. Notice as patterns and themes emerge. What are they telling us about the learning? How are they influencing the next steps? What are they telling us that children need from us? What is surprising? What did we not expect? How are our assumptions being challenged?

• Valuing personal inquiry equally: To paraphrase Ron Ritchart, what we value is what becomes valued by those around us. Our iTime became an equally valued part of the day alongside mathematical learning, reading and writing. We had mini-lessons, conferences, reflections and goal-setting, just as we did with other areas of our learning - reassuring for me as a teacher as I do this for other disciplines every day.

• Building routine and structure: Contrary to some misconceptions about inquiry/agency-based learning, this is an important factor. Creating structures together that offer visible reflection, data collection and connection making opportunities helps us reflect, notice, wonder and move to next steps.

• Sharing the focus between the how, the what and the why: As well as reflecting on and celebrating the content (new technical skills, knowledge, conceptual understandings) - place an equal spotlight on the learning assets (skills and dispositions), and the reason for the learning. This provides students with the reason to reflect and with increased ownership over decisions made about learning. Guy Claxton’s ‘Split Screen’ learning intention and reflection technique is a helpful way to make this happen.

• Helping make new learning and connections visible: Help learners notice how all areas of their learning are connected. Use reflection and visibility tools to notice and help make connections visible and clear.

• Trusting and becoming comfortable with different types of learning happening simultaneously: Trust that your systems for documentation and conferencing will ensure that you are regularly in conversation with students about purpose, goals and next steps. Trust that the reflection systems, thinking routines and planning structures in place will help the students dig deeper in an independent and purposeful manner.

• Valuing ALL mistakes: It is something we all say, but occasionally we only value the types of mistakes that we are comfortable with. Reflecting on, for example, how little balance a student is in their learning decisions, can lead to deep and thoughtful dialogue about the decision-making process, responsibility, accountability and so much more.

• Using common language: Building a shared understanding of important vocabulary helps us to understand, question and share coherently in relation to our projects.

Getting personal: conferring with learners as they inquire

For several years now, it has been a joy to help educators and learners explore the power of ‘personal inquiry’ as part of the broader spectrum of inquiry learning in their schools. Simply put, I define personal inquiry as an opportunity for learners to pursue questions/interests/passions/challenges that they determine. Individual learners design inquiries that allow them to travel on a learning path of their choosing. They might be inquiring into how to design and make something, how to improve a skill or inquiring into a question they find fascinating.

The way this is implemented in schools varies from school to school, classroom to classroom. In many of the schools I partner with, we have established a regular routine called “iTime” (and often “Discovery time”in the early years) which is offered on a weekly basis. More often than not, the inquiries learners are engaged in are not connected with the shared inquiry (their whole class “big Question”) although it may be that learners will use iTime to continue to delve into the same area that is being explored by the class as a whole. For me, one of the most critical aspects of personal inquiry is the focus on investing and growing the learning assets - skills and dispositions for life long learning. When learners identify the focus for their personal inquiry, they also establish a a goal or intention that commits them to developing their skills as a learner. So an investigation into the problem of palm oil production is simultaneously an investigation into, for example, effective time management. Personal inquiry beautifully nurtures learner agency in that there is a great deal of choice for the learner and it also explicitly focusses on strengthening the child’s identify as a capable, skilled, independent inquirer.

Critical to the success of our experience with personal inquiry is the role of the teacher in conferring with learners. Far from being a routine that allows learners to simply “go off on their own” , teachers are working the room as coaches, guides, observers and co-researchers. Scheduled and spontaneous conferences are the mainstay of the teachers’ role during iTime. Conversations can be brief but they serve powerful purposes:

• To contribute to formative assessment of the student’s learning (and therefore to plans for improving  learning)

• Get to know your learners more deeply as learners and people

• To build trust and connect with individuals through dialogue

• Provide personalized, specific feedback 

•  Help learners think and talk about their learning and about themselves as learners

•  Help learners stay focussed and on task

•  Monitor progress towards their personal goals

• To offer ‘just in time’ explanations/demonstrations if required

•  To help learners clarify what they need to do next

  Conferring during personal inquiry time can be inspiring and joyful but also requires an agile and responsive teacher - moving across topics, documenting and balancing time to observe as well as time to engage. Here are some tips we have found helpful:

Tips for success

·      For more formal, scheduled conferences, give learners time to prepare for the conference and ask them bring evidence/artefacts to the conversation

 ·      Bring an inquiry stance to the conference. Remain open and curious about what and how the child is learning.  It is often simply through listening that we most effectively assist the learner. As they explain their process to us, they come to clarify it for themselves

·      Ask questions more than offer suggestions. Through your questions, students will often come up with their own solutions

·      With younger learners, ‘conferring’ will often feel more like listening, observing and ‘nudging’ ideas as they play/explore. 

·      When making suggestions  - provide more than one and then  invite the learner to select what they believe will be the best way forward.  

·      Keep the learner in the driver’s seat – ask them what they think is important to achieve through the conference

·      This is a conversation not an interview. For this reason, it canbe helpful to avoid note taking during the conversation if it takes away from the quality of your communication.  You and the learner may spend a couple of minutes making jottings once the conversation has ended. 

 ·      Notice and name what you are noticing. “So I can see you have….”

 ·      Record the essence of the conversation – and/or have the learner record what was discussed

·      Consider small group conferences – so children learn the questions and prompts you use, enabling them to confer with each other

 ·      Articulate what the child is teaching you as they share their inquiry. (‘I didn't know that - how fascinating, I can see why you are so interested in this…) 

Sample questions/prompts for a ‘personal inquiry’ conference 

Finally, over the years, I have found myself noticing the kinds of questions/prompts that seem to be more effective. Here are some that I personally find useful:

·      Can you tell/remind me what you are inquiring into? (often followed by, ‘Can you tell me more about that?)

·      Tell me about what you are doing/working on…

·      Why is this important to you? 

·      How is your investigation going? (can you tell me more about that? What makes you say that?  What have you found out/discovered/learned to do so far 

·      (Begin with the ‘content’ of the inquiry as this is generally the more motivating element for the learner) 

·      What skill/behaviour are you trying to strengthen during this inquiry?  (eventually some simple continua of skills and behaviours will be available for the child to refer to as part of this conversation) 

·      How is it going? (here, success criteria that has been developed with the class can be a useful reference) 

·      So what’s challenging you? What might you need help with? 

·      Can I share some things I have noticed? (target something the child is doing well and something they need to work on) 

·      Something I have noticed is….

·      I’m going to suggest 2 things you could do about that…What do you think might be most helpful? 

 ·      Someone that could show you how to do that is….

 ·      Would it be helpful if I showed you how to….?

·      Given what we have discussed, what do you think you might need to do next? 

 ·      You might consider…

 ·      I’m going to make a couple of suggestions that will help you with ….. then you can decide which one seems the best suggestion for you

 ·      Someone in the class who has got expertise/maybe able to show you how to… is….

And finally, a few reminders on ‘choice words’ for conferring….

• Refer to “learning” rather than “work”.

• Remember the power of ‘yet’  (so you haven’t found the information you are looking for YET) 

• (use might/could…) How might you? How could you? What might be..

• ‘I’m wondering if you…. I’m wondering about the way you… 

• What are you noticing about yourself as you do this? 

• Use the language of the relevant discipline where possible (so as a scientist, is there a way you could test this hypothesis? As a writer, how do you feel about this lead sentence?..)

What do you find helpful in managing personal inquiry in your context? What questions work best for you? How do you and your learners document these conversations? How do you keep the learner in the driver’s seat?

Just wondering…

If you could take just one word into the new year….what would it be?

Whether you are soon to begin a new school year or returning to school in a new calendar year, this is inevitably a time of heightened intention.  I love this ‘moment’ in time when the new and old year hinge on each other.  Reflection is made more purposeful when it casts light on the way ahead.  As a new year dawns, I can’t help but wonder about the way my thinking, my learning and my teaching will unfold.  This will be my 33rd year of teaching (how on EARTH did that happen?).  Whether teaching children, student-teachers or experienced teachers in the field I continue to love what I do and marvel at how much I learn, unlearn and re-learn each year.

As I have shared before (http://www.kathmurdoch.com.au/blog/2014/01/23/and-the-word-is)  my family and friends have a tradition of selecting a word to bring into the new year.  Just one, single word. The word provides as a kind of ‘tincture’ to the year – its purpose being to regularly nudge you along a path of your choosing – a path that strengthens you in some way.  

This year, I have chosen the word ‘space’… it works for me on a personal and professional level.   My passion for inquiry requires a lot of thinking about, providing for and curating space.  I know the best learning happens when I give myself and my students enough space to explore, grow, to think and to talk.  Clutter (physical, emotional and cognitive) feels like the antithesis of discovery and learning.  Even having some space to think, to read, to walk and to write is palpably nurturing for me as a learner as I enjoy some down time over the Christmas break.  I need space – and as a teacher, I need to provide it.

As I walked the spacious sands on a nearby beach early this morning, I pondered some single powerful words that resonate with the practice and stance of the inquiry teacher.  If you are so inclined, perhaps one of these words might act as your talisman for a wonderful year of inquiry.

Connect...If ever there was a ‘multi-purpose’ word for inquiry, this is it!  This year, help your students make connections – between ideas, between new and past experiences, between eachother and with themselves.  Make your own connections – not just within your school but with the wider community of inquiry teachers around the world. Stay connected to why you do what you do.

Wonder...No word list for inquiry would be complete without it.   Wonder fuels inquiry.  This year – commit to providing your kids with more time and reason to wonder.  Start a class wonder-journal into which you record things you have marveled at, noticed, been puzzled by.  Make your wonderwall a place for dynamic investigation. Give your kids time to explore their interests. Most of all, share YOUR wonders with your students. Be the curious, passionate learner you want to see

Open...One of the most challenging aspects of being an inquiry teacher is learning to stay open to the possibility that things may not go as planned – but it is also one of the most satisfying dispositions to build in yourself and your students.  Stay open – to new thinking, new ways of doing things, new questions. Design tasks that are open enough to allow diverse and individual responses. Open your doors. Open up your spaces. Ditch some tables. Move.

Dare... With a nod to Brene Brown, we sometimes have to ‘dare greatly’ in order to see inquiry truly flourish in our classroom.  Dare to express yourself with more candor and passion in your planning or staff meetings, dare to suggest and try new ways of doing things, dare to ditch the stuff you KNOW is a waste of time, dare to be spontaneous when you see a truly teachable moment worth inquiring into, dare to spend an entire day exploring something fascinating with your students,  dare to stop doing something you have always done just because you’ve always done it. Dare to try something that scares you a little.  Dare your students to challenge themselves, to move out of their comfort zone. Dare to help your students inquire into something you know nothing about.  Dare to question

Play...We know the value of play for learning and how vital it is that children have opportunities for the exploration and stimulation of play.  But play is not just about interacting with materials or having discovery time a couple of times a week.   Inquiry teachers help students play with ideas, play with thinking, play with words, play with possibilities. They bring a playful disposition to learning that creates a culture in which even the most challenging tasks can have a joyful element. Playfulness -  knowing how to bring a lighter touch to classroom discourse often to more sophisticated engaged thinking than the dull seriousness of an all-too-earnest conversation.  Don't lose sight of YOUR inner child. Play. Commit to learning some new circle games and play them all year.  Laugh together. Enjoy your teaching more. Enjoy your kids!

Grow...Inquiry teachers see themselves as learners.  It is our responsibility to continue to grow ourselves and our thinking along with our students. Make this a year of growth – whether you are in your first or last year of teaching.  Show your students that you too are an inquirer and that learning never stops. I am regularly stunned by conversations I have with some teachers who cannot tell me a professional book they last read, who don’t subscribe to any blogs or lists or attend any workshops other than those required of them. I don't get it.  We can ALL grow ourselves as learners more easily than we have ever been able to before.  Learn something new.  There is a world of wisdom in our pockets, at the touch of a button. Grow!

So….those are 6 words that come to mind when I think of entering the new year as an inquiry teacher.  I’ve merely scratched the surface. What’s YOUR word?

Just wondering…

Passion and curiosity can’t happen ‘on demand’! or 'What do the 'shoulder shruggers' need?'

As many readers of this blog know, I have been busy exploring various approaches to personalized inquiry in schools. This has been one of my own significant ‘inquiries’ over the last few years. Providing more personalized inquiry opportunities for students is certainly gaining in popularity and momentum and happens in various ways through such approaches as genius hour, innovation days, itime, etc. Each year, I learn many new lessons about how to make these opportunities work more effectively to ensure high quality, rigorous learning while providing choice and flexibility. Two comments in recent times have given me pause for thought. The first came from a child - not from a school I have worked in - but one that is obviously making efforts to personalize learning. The children have all been given the opportunity to do a ‘passion project’. They have 4 weeks and are using some class time and some homework time to complete it. They have simply been told to ‘investigate their passion’ To be fair, the school does not seem to have a strong, explicit inquiry program so she may well felt more equipped and connected if it had. Regardless, it's not the first time I have heard a child say… “But I don't really HAVE a passion, I don’t know what to do!” Far from being excited by the prospect of investigating something of her choice, this 11 year old was floundering - grasping at random ‘topics’ her teacher had selected and shrugging at any suggestions I made related to some of her (admittedly limited) interests outside of school.

The second comment I heard was from a parent following a talk I gave recently where the focus was on ‘wandering and wondering’ with your child and the delight and power of young children’s questions. At the end of the talk she said her own child asked lots of questions and was a keen, curious learner at home…but when it came to “discovery time” at her son’s school, he was often ‘stuck’ and did not know what to do – he also felt rushed to pick something to work on for the session and expected to suddenly ‘switch on’ his curiosity. I sensed a few problems with the way these sessions may have been run but did not take that further. What I DID say was that like all learners, we can’t expect kids to be curious ‘on demand’ .

Passion, strong interest, curiosity, a desire to find out or learn to do something new or better….these are the driving dispositions of personalized inquiry. Some children almost spill over with enthusiasm and an eagerness to pursue something while others - well not so much. So, what do they need? What do the ‘shoulder-shruggers’, the ‘I dunno’s’, the “I’ll do what he’s doing” kids need ... in order to be more authentically engaged in experience of personalized inquiry?

1. Time. Rather than seeing the foci for itime/genius hour as something to work on in dedicated sessions – encourage kids to build a bank of possibilities throughout the year. Researcher’s notebooks, wonderwalls, ideas boards, etc. allow the learner to collect their own questions and interests as they arise – rather than ‘on demand’. Gradually building a collection of possibilities gives the students something to ‘dip into’ when they have an opportunity to launch into a new journey of inquiry. Curiosity – even passion – as dispositions that need to be nurtured as part of a wider classroom culture.

2. Inspiration. Part of the teacher’s role is to be ever on the look out for stimulating, interesting questions/issues/events that might pique interest and be worth pursuing…share these with the children and create a bank of wonders for those students who might need that extra support. Websites like www.wonderopolis.org are excellent resources. Ted talks, short video clips, articles - can all provide great springboards for interest.  Teachers who consistently model their OWN enthusiasm for learning, finding things out and who show excitement about the range of things kids themselves are interested in go a long way to providing an inspiring atmosphere for inquiry. And while we encourage children to become passionate learners – let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot by making children feel that if they are not PASSIONATE about it, it's not worthy! A thoughtful, even reserved interest may be enough to provoke a quality investigation. Once underway, itime or its equivalent can generate its own energy as children gain ideas from each other. Have students share their investigations in small groups, conduct gallery walks, keep public lists and charts of the ideas they have explored – peers inspiring peers.

3. Breadth. Beware the dreaded ‘topic’… itime investigations do not have to involve students inquiring into a random topic (eg: panda bears, formula 1 racing) …they certainly may…but they may also be an opportunity to improve a skill or learn a new skill, to work on an action plan, to canvas people’s opinions about an important issue, to create make and build. If students think of a ‘project’ the way many of their parents experienced a ‘project’ it is no wonder they can’t get past simply choosing a topic. The best personalized inquiries are also seen by students and teachers as an opportunity to ‘build their learning muscle’ - it’s so much more than the content.

4. Forethought.   Many of the more successful personalised inquiry programs I see, really scaffold students thinking before, during and after their investigations. Students complete proposals (careful not to make them too arduous!), or keep researcher’s notebooks, and conference with peers and teachers to gain support and advice rather than simply ‘coming up with a topic’.

5. Trust: One of the struggles we have as teachers is our own tendency to judge the choices that children make. We give them a choice – but we can also make it pretty clear when we disapprove of the choice! Perhaps this is why some are tentative to say what they want to explore. Of course there will be some things that won't be appropriate for investigation – and criteria for that can be worked out with the class. But we need to be mindful not to shoot down their interests because we might not judge it worthy of spending time on. The best teachers I see know how to take that child's desire to learn about (eg soccer) and help them develop a question or a focus for investigation that stretches thinking without devaluing their interest (eg: How has the game of soccer changed in the last 50 years – is it a better game now than it was?Why?). Spending time in thoughtful conversation with children who need that extra support is vital. Just as we conference with students about their reading and writing – so too should we about their researching. This is not ‘teacher free’ learning!

Providing opportunities for true, personalized inquiry as part of our classroom program can be a wonderful way to support the growth of the learner.   But if we expect them to ‘turn on the curiosity’ for one session a week without a broader culture of inquiry and the necessary time for reflection and inspiration, well…I guess we can expect our fair share of ‘cut and paste’ posters and half-hearted powerpoint presentations.

How do you encourage and sustain authentic passion and curiosity in your classroom?

Just wondering…