This week’s guest speaker Trevor highlighted how students learn better when an environment is curated to prioritize their needs. Much of Trevor’s presentation focused on centering students and collaborating in the creation of personal and class goals which fit their chosen definition of success.
Trevor explained that to cultivate a curious classroom there must be a shared understanding of the role of the student in facilitating their own learning and growth. One way that Trevor does this in his class is by co-constructing or co-designing the criteria for success for a given concept or assessment. In situations where students have the choice to pursue their own interests, this model is helpful in centering the students learning. By co-designing the criteria for success, students feel like their input is valuable which makes them more likely to continue to engage in class conversations.
I also found that Trevor has a Youtube channel with many short videos like this one which can serve a a reference or refresher for teachers looking to implement inquiry in their classrooms.
Trevor’s website is also a useful resource for teachers as he has infographics that can encourage teachers to apply and inquiry framework as well as explain inquiry to kids.