WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.120 We all know that every child is born with an innate curiosity and that as that 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:11.640 child travels through life and school, that curiosity slowly dwindles until by 00:00:11.670 --> 00:00:16.259 the time you're an adult, like us, you've just about lost all their curiosity, 00:00:16.709 --> 00:00:22.110 because along the way it's been killed off by people, circumstances in your life. 00:00:22.770 --> 00:00:27.240 So today we're going to look at ways that you can regain some of that innate 00:00:27.240 --> 00:00:28.800 curiosity that you were born with. 00:00:29.340 --> 00:00:33.420 So that you are better able to spot opportunities in everyday life to 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:35.910 nurture it in the children you teach. 00:00:35.910 --> 00:00:39.270 A few weeks ago, I wrote about this very thing in my newsletter. 00:00:39.800 --> 00:00:44.240 I gave my subscribers some tips on how to nurture their own curiosity. 00:00:44.870 --> 00:00:49.220 So to get blooming curious, by the way, my newsletter go to EDS lessons.com. 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:50.930 And sign up there. 00:00:51.170 --> 00:00:54.650 That's Ed's lessons.com and sign up there. 00:00:55.190 --> 00:00:59.390 And in a few weeks time or so, there won't be in it for lessons anymore, 00:00:59.390 --> 00:01:00.710 there'll just be Blooming Curious 00:01:00.710 --> 00:01:03.590 so that's really something exciting I'm looking forward to. 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:07.500 So listen, I did some digging to see how we can regain or 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:09.420 nurture our own curiosity. 00:01:10.020 --> 00:01:14.640 And I've found that we need to start by taking up a challenge, a new hobby, 00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:18.990 or something you've wanted to do for a really long time, but you just haven't 00:01:18.990 --> 00:01:21.090 had the courage or the time to do it. 00:01:21.750 --> 00:01:27.330 Well, this podcast and my blog, and all the resources that I've created 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:34.530 is exactly that for me, It's something I toiled about for a very long time. 00:01:34.950 --> 00:01:37.530 And then one day I just thought, what the hell? 00:01:37.830 --> 00:01:39.990 And I started and here I am. 00:01:40.380 --> 00:01:43.950 It's really scary putting yourself out there, especially at my age. 00:01:44.430 --> 00:01:47.700 When I'm wanting to create a following so that I can make a difference in 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:52.350 more children's lives because the more adults and teachers know how to keep 00:01:52.350 --> 00:01:58.350 kids curious and loving learning, the better the future will be for all of us. 00:01:58.800 --> 00:02:01.080 So I set myself this challenge, right? 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:03.750 And every day is a learning curve. 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:07.470 And there are some days I seriously feel like throwing in the towel. 00:02:07.800 --> 00:02:11.340 And other days when someone signs up for one of my resources or I 00:02:11.370 --> 00:02:16.290 get a new follower on social media or a new follower here on Blooming 00:02:16.290 --> 00:02:20.220 Curious, I think, okay maybe I'll just keep going for a little longer. 00:02:20.970 --> 00:02:26.880 So the reason we should be all following a passion or hobby or 00:02:26.880 --> 00:02:28.470 starting something challenging 00:02:28.890 --> 00:02:31.980 is it because it makes us more curious about something. 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:36.510 And the process of learning all about this new thing, actually takes 00:02:36.510 --> 00:02:42.390 us through an inquiry cycle, which is exactly what children go through 00:02:42.630 --> 00:02:47.280 when they are inquiring, and they are curious and when we can do this and 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:52.650 go through the cycle ourselves, we can then model this to our learners. 00:02:53.260 --> 00:02:54.820 And when you starting something new. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:56.860 You have questions around it, right? 00:02:57.190 --> 00:02:57.730 Where do you go? 00:02:58.240 --> 00:02:59.260 How do you start? 00:02:59.470 --> 00:03:01.360 What special equipment might you need? 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:05.800 And when you start an inquiry project, you ask questions and 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:07.990 this is exactly the same process. 00:03:08.330 --> 00:03:13.130 When you are going through an inquiry process or an inquiry project or an 00:03:13.150 --> 00:03:18.230 inquiry mindset with children you're going to find the answers to your questions. 00:03:18.570 --> 00:03:21.900 When you start on an inquiry project, you ask questions, right? 00:03:22.380 --> 00:03:25.480 This is the exact same process. 00:03:26.110 --> 00:03:28.690 And then you're going to find the answers to your questions. 00:03:29.109 --> 00:03:34.359 Maybe you do some reading or you watch a video on YouTube or you take some courses. 00:03:34.750 --> 00:03:36.850 This is exactly what learners will do too. 00:03:37.239 --> 00:03:41.799 They'll be observing, reading, talking to others, watching videos 00:03:41.980 --> 00:03:44.980 or whatever it takes to find the answers to their questions. 00:03:45.970 --> 00:03:48.040 And once you have these answers. 00:03:48.880 --> 00:03:54.190 And you have an idea of what it is you wanting to start putting together. 00:03:54.790 --> 00:03:56.260 You take action. 00:03:56.320 --> 00:03:57.970 You don't just stay on it. 00:03:58.299 --> 00:04:00.100 This is the important part, guys. 00:04:00.429 --> 00:04:02.020 You take action. 00:04:02.530 --> 00:04:04.929 You're not just thinking about it anymore. 00:04:05.260 --> 00:04:06.520 It's not just a dream. 00:04:06.990 --> 00:04:07.840 You're doing it. 00:04:08.230 --> 00:04:10.630 No matter how rubbish it is right now. 00:04:11.350 --> 00:04:13.750 No matter how bad you think you are right now. 00:04:13.750 --> 00:04:16.600 Cause trust me, you'd probably never as bad as you think. 00:04:17.200 --> 00:04:21.159 You just have a go and you dip your toes in. 00:04:22.029 --> 00:04:24.940 For me doing this is exactly the same. 00:04:25.510 --> 00:04:31.080 This podcast is probably not up there, but I think there is a space for all 00:04:31.080 --> 00:04:33.480 of us and I'm just doing this thing. 00:04:33.870 --> 00:04:35.640 One episode at a time, 00:04:35.880 --> 00:04:39.780 and with each episode I gain a little bit more confidence until one day, 00:04:39.780 --> 00:04:42.660 hopefully sooner than later, because you know, I'm not getting any younger. 00:04:43.320 --> 00:04:48.370 I too can have a million downloads, but hey, that won't happen, by the way, unless 00:04:48.390 --> 00:04:52.980 you share this thing and you subscribe and you follow and you spread the love people. 00:04:53.310 --> 00:04:55.260 Cause, you know, love is a doing word. 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:59.640 You don't just tell me how much you like things you have to show me by 00:04:59.640 --> 00:05:05.670 sharing it and leaving reviews, and that's what the podcasting gods like. 00:05:06.030 --> 00:05:08.880 And so do I just by the way. 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:11.310 So now you're putting it all together, 00:05:12.070 --> 00:05:16.390 and that equates to kids working on their projects and figuring out 00:05:16.570 --> 00:05:17.950 how they'll share their learning. 00:05:18.550 --> 00:05:20.170 Are they going to draw a picture? 00:05:20.260 --> 00:05:21.220 Are they going to label it? 00:05:21.280 --> 00:05:24.520 Are they going to talk about it or are they going to write a report or 00:05:24.520 --> 00:05:26.590 make a video or write a blog post? 00:05:27.250 --> 00:05:30.580 And for you on this mission, how are you going to share it? 00:05:30.880 --> 00:05:34.720 Are you finally, going to plant that veggie garden after all your research 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:38.020 into what you're going to grow and how to enrich your soil, et cetera. 00:05:38.470 --> 00:05:42.670 And you finally going to prepare those beautiful homemade meals for your 00:05:42.670 --> 00:05:46.090 family after finding all the recipes and learning all the techniques? 00:05:46.540 --> 00:05:49.060 Are you going to start that first chapter of your book 00:05:49.090 --> 00:05:50.350 you've always wanted to write. 00:05:50.990 --> 00:05:55.700 Then, of course you will eventually come to the point where you have 00:05:55.700 --> 00:05:57.650 to deliver your presentation. 00:05:58.340 --> 00:05:59.900 You'll harvest the vegetables. 00:06:00.590 --> 00:06:03.080 Maybe you'll publish a short story. 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:07.550 Maybe your dancing will finally come together and you can 00:06:07.550 --> 00:06:09.530 glide gracefully across a room. 00:06:10.460 --> 00:06:12.110 Maybe even intro competition. 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:16.850 Or perhaps you finally have sewn and completed your very first garment 00:06:17.430 --> 00:06:21.690 and you now wear it to show the world your fantastic new skills. 00:06:22.320 --> 00:06:24.210 For kids this is exactly the same. 00:06:24.630 --> 00:06:29.190 They produce their learning in whatever format they choose. 00:06:29.790 --> 00:06:33.390 Because inquiry is not cookie cutter learning. 00:06:33.890 --> 00:06:37.890 There aren't 25 identical yellow ducks hanging from a washing 00:06:37.890 --> 00:06:39.270 line across the classroom. 00:06:39.840 --> 00:06:42.360 Now you might have 25 or maybe less 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:46.470 if kids are working on collaborative projects of different products, 00:06:47.190 --> 00:06:51.600 or projects being shown, but now this is different. 00:06:51.660 --> 00:06:56.680 Now you have real agency, because all your kids are doing something different. 00:06:57.880 --> 00:07:00.520 And the learning doesn't just stop here. 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:04.060 You've now presented that doesn't mean you now stop. 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:06.100 You're not going to stop planting vegetables 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:06.580 are you? 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:09.820 You're not going to stop your dance lessons or your stop, your writing. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:13.240 Now you start refining. 00:07:13.810 --> 00:07:14.650 You check. 00:07:14.890 --> 00:07:16.210 Where could you do better? 00:07:16.660 --> 00:07:19.630 What did you leave out that perhaps needs including that 00:07:19.630 --> 00:07:21.490 isn't working that needs fixing. 00:07:21.970 --> 00:07:24.400 Just like a scientist conducting an experiment. 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:26.230 You keep refining. 00:07:26.500 --> 00:07:28.720 Getting better, figuring things out. 00:07:29.300 --> 00:07:32.630 And that's exactly what I'm in the process of doing right now. 00:07:33.530 --> 00:07:37.370 I'm now looking at what it is that I'm doing wrong or not 00:07:37.370 --> 00:07:39.030 enough of, or too much of. 00:07:39.620 --> 00:07:43.490 So learning doesn't stop once you've produced your first product. 00:07:43.970 --> 00:07:46.100 Learning is an ongoing process. 00:07:46.520 --> 00:07:50.720 And it's now this stage, that curiosity kicks in big time. 00:07:51.320 --> 00:07:56.030 To start really thinking critically finding ways around problems, a 00:07:56.030 --> 00:08:00.530 different way of doing something that can give you a better outcome. 00:08:00.530 --> 00:08:04.220 And so we send our learners back to reevaluate. 00:08:04.580 --> 00:08:05.840 Why doesn't this work? 00:08:06.020 --> 00:08:07.460 What can you change? 00:08:08.210 --> 00:08:10.160 Allow me to share a story with you. 00:08:10.850 --> 00:08:13.760 You know, as a teacher, you always remember those little moments that 00:08:13.760 --> 00:08:19.310 were so magical when students show real passion for learning and curiosity. 00:08:19.910 --> 00:08:21.830 It's something to treasure. 00:08:22.610 --> 00:08:27.190 So I had this little guy in my year, two class, he was smart as a tack. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:31.820 The kids are making 3d models of animals they had studied as part 00:08:31.850 --> 00:08:33.830 of a science unit, on life cycles. 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:36.530 And each student studied their own animal 00:08:36.590 --> 00:08:37.130 of course. 00:08:37.460 --> 00:08:38.660 We wrote reports. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:43.370 We made 2d colleges of the animals in the style of Mattise's art. 00:08:43.730 --> 00:08:48.770 We integrated technology into our learning and they created 3d models. 00:08:50.060 --> 00:08:55.670 This kid created a rhino out of recycled materials because we always 00:08:55.670 --> 00:08:59.660 repurpose materials to be sustainable as possible when working with children. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:02.210 And he did an amazing job. 00:09:02.690 --> 00:09:05.900 But this rhino kept toppling over and it wouldn't stand up. 00:09:06.590 --> 00:09:12.020 Now as an educator, here is your everyday learning example. 00:09:12.710 --> 00:09:14.030 What do you do? 00:09:14.630 --> 00:09:18.800 Do you solve the problem for him and tell him what he should do to get it to stand. 00:09:19.370 --> 00:09:21.560 Absolutely not. 00:09:22.040 --> 00:09:25.670 This is the moment for encouraging curiosity, critical 00:09:25.670 --> 00:09:27.410 thinking and problem solving. 00:09:28.100 --> 00:09:30.830 I think I may have held the rhino in place and asked him to look 00:09:30.830 --> 00:09:34.220 carefully and figure out why he thought the rhino was toppling over. 00:09:34.850 --> 00:09:37.700 He looked, I held it, let it go. 00:09:37.760 --> 00:09:43.130 He looked again, and then his eyes lit up and he said, I know what the problem is. 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:46.460 And off, he went with the tape and some other materials from the 00:09:46.460 --> 00:09:48.800 recycling box and he fixed the problem. 00:09:49.580 --> 00:09:53.150 And then of course he didn't like how you could see the rhino was 00:09:53.150 --> 00:09:54.860 standing on the lid of the shoe box. 00:09:55.190 --> 00:09:59.960 So I did what anyone with an inquiry mindset would you. 00:10:00.530 --> 00:10:02.540 I asked questions. 00:10:02.990 --> 00:10:04.070 What are you thinking? 00:10:04.760 --> 00:10:09.740 How about you go and look at a whole bunch of pictures of rhinos in the wild. 00:10:10.310 --> 00:10:12.230 And then you tell me what you see. 00:10:12.710 --> 00:10:16.910 And lo and behold, he saw them standing in long grass. 00:10:17.150 --> 00:10:18.860 So you actually couldn't see their feet. 00:10:19.250 --> 00:10:20.090 And bingo. 00:10:20.270 --> 00:10:22.070 He had solved his problem. 00:10:22.610 --> 00:10:26.570 I then helped him and showed him how to create grass from paper and 00:10:26.570 --> 00:10:30.560 how he could stick it onto the shoe box lid so that it would stand up. 00:10:30.560 --> 00:10:33.890 And it looked like the rhino was standing in grass and you wouldn't be able to 00:10:33.890 --> 00:10:38.150 see the feet where he had patched it up and made it so that it could stand. 00:10:39.140 --> 00:10:41.810 And I did one of the piece of this grass for him 00:10:41.810 --> 00:10:44.949 and then off he went with his new found skill and he did the rest. 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.420 How do you think he felt when he solved his own problem? 00:10:49.260 --> 00:10:50.820 Proud as punch. 00:10:51.390 --> 00:10:54.990 Just like we do when we accomplish something. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:00.750 The inquiry process is also about welcoming failure so that when success 00:11:00.780 --> 00:11:04.020 is achieved, it's all the sweeter. 00:11:04.710 --> 00:11:06.000 And guess what else happens? 00:11:06.450 --> 00:11:07.830 We feel good. 00:11:08.070 --> 00:11:12.600 And because we feel good, dopamine that feel good, chemical is 00:11:12.600 --> 00:11:14.880 released and we want more of it. 00:11:15.210 --> 00:11:19.470 And so comes the joy of inquiry, the joy of figuring things 00:11:19.470 --> 00:11:21.390 out and experiencing success. 00:11:21.750 --> 00:11:25.950 And why ever would we not want children to experience that? 00:11:26.700 --> 00:11:32.100 So in essence, This is inquiry at work in every day experiences. 00:11:32.760 --> 00:11:36.660 When we are with kids, we need to be watching and observing. 00:11:37.020 --> 00:11:41.310 And when you spot opportunities, which allow for problem-solving and critical 00:11:41.310 --> 00:11:48.630 thinking, To use them to nurture curiosity and build inquiry skills in our learners. 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:53.280 Inquiry, you know, Is not a separate subject. 00:11:53.280 --> 00:11:57.480 So many educators think that they need time to do inquiry 00:11:57.510 --> 00:11:59.040 that it's a separate subject. 00:11:59.550 --> 00:12:02.520 And that's why they avoid it because they think they don't have the time, 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:05.130 but inquiry is not a separate subject. 00:12:05.340 --> 00:12:08.100 It's not something you do on a Wednesday morning. 00:12:08.670 --> 00:12:12.150 Inquiry is a stance you take, it's a mindset. 00:12:12.180 --> 00:12:13.590 It's a way of being. 00:12:14.910 --> 00:12:18.990 Although sometimes you obviously you have this inquiring mindset and you're 00:12:19.020 --> 00:12:22.710 looking for opportunities when you could ask a question, we encourage 00:12:22.740 --> 00:12:27.160 children to find something out or go further or go deeper with something. 00:12:28.300 --> 00:12:32.680 You can also dedicate blocks of time to inquiry. 00:12:33.160 --> 00:12:36.400 Where children, for example, work on an inquiry project. 00:12:37.570 --> 00:12:42.060 But inquiry is a part of your makeup, your persona, your thinking. 00:12:42.959 --> 00:12:45.959 We talk about educating the whole child. 00:12:46.199 --> 00:12:47.430 This is what it means. 00:12:47.699 --> 00:12:51.779 We cannot possibly say our culture in our school or in our homes 00:12:51.779 --> 00:12:54.269 is always all about whole child. 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:57.149 And then we don't encourage inquiry and curiosity. 00:12:57.149 --> 00:12:59.009 To help you see those moments. 00:12:59.219 --> 00:13:03.029 I've created a great little e-guide for you, and it's called How 00:13:03.029 --> 00:13:04.979 to Encourage Natural Curiosity. 00:13:05.489 --> 00:13:07.769 Go to Ed's lessons.com. 00:13:08.069 --> 00:13:12.719 Forward slash resources, go to free resources and you'll find it there. 00:13:13.139 --> 00:13:17.369 I've included question starters in there and an example of how you can 00:13:17.369 --> 00:13:21.569 turn a simple walk with a child into a learning experience that nurtures 00:13:21.599 --> 00:13:25.469 curiosity and the same can be done when a child is playing outside in 00:13:25.469 --> 00:13:27.839 a backyard or on the playground. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.729 And inquiry mindset isn't just applicable to the science curriculum. 00:13:33.569 --> 00:13:36.959 It's applicable to any subject at any time. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:39.809 Let's take a look at English, for example. 00:13:40.379 --> 00:13:45.089 If you're teaching writing a descriptive sentence and you're walking around and you 00:13:45.089 --> 00:13:47.129 see a child has written a simple sentence. 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:48.149 What do you do? 00:13:48.689 --> 00:13:49.949 Do you correct it for them? 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:51.599 Rewrite it for them. 00:13:52.169 --> 00:13:52.619 No. 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:57.059 If you have an inquiry mindset, you take an inquiry stance. 00:13:57.059 --> 00:13:58.709 You're going to ask a question. 00:13:59.219 --> 00:14:04.019 How can you include an adjective in this sentence to make it more interesting? 00:14:04.619 --> 00:14:07.799 How can you better describe the object in the sentence? 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.099 And then the kid has a go and maybe they'll need a little help and 00:14:11.099 --> 00:14:14.729 scaffolding and a little bit of direction, but you encourage them to 00:14:14.729 --> 00:14:16.589 come up with the answer themselves. 00:14:17.549 --> 00:14:20.909 Our job as educators is about getting children to think, 00:14:21.269 --> 00:14:26.039 and we do that by nurturing an inquiring mind, not just in our students. 00:14:26.369 --> 00:14:30.059 But in ourselves too, because it all starts with us. 00:14:30.449 --> 00:14:34.799 If you are not curious, the kids you teach will not be curious either. 00:14:35.489 --> 00:14:39.839 So I encourage you to really work on your own curiosity and mindset. 00:14:40.229 --> 00:14:41.609 Try something new. 00:14:41.849 --> 00:14:43.469 Set yourself a challenge. 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:47.459 It will not only make your life more interesting and fulfilling, but 00:14:47.459 --> 00:14:49.319 it will make you more interesting. 00:14:50.069 --> 00:14:55.379 And by the way, share your experience of learning something new and failing 00:14:55.649 --> 00:15:01.319 and trying again with your students so that they see your curiosity at work. 00:15:01.709 --> 00:15:05.129 And very soon they will be trying new things and building their 00:15:05.129 --> 00:15:09.359 resilience too, by seeing failure as part of the learning process. 00:15:09.909 --> 00:15:12.730 I want to hear all about your own curiosity, exploration. 00:15:13.129 --> 00:15:17.029 So go to Instagram, you can find me there at Ed's lessons. 00:15:17.509 --> 00:15:22.459 And let's start a conversation all about how we develop our own inquiry mindset. 00:15:22.819 --> 00:15:24.109 I'd love to connect with you. 00:15:24.719 --> 00:15:27.719 Listen, I so appreciate you taking the time to listen to the show. 00:15:28.049 --> 00:15:31.649 I know you could have listened to any one of a thousand shows, but 00:15:31.649 --> 00:15:33.359 you decided to listen to this one. 00:15:33.719 --> 00:15:35.849 And I'm so grateful to you for that. 00:15:36.329 --> 00:15:40.049 And if you like this episode or the show, won't you do me a favor? 00:15:40.349 --> 00:15:42.929 And share it with five friends right now. 00:15:43.409 --> 00:15:47.549 And that's the only way the show can grow and ultimately more kids will benefit. 00:15:47.909 --> 00:15:51.359 I really thank you so much for doing that and for being here. 00:15:51.779 --> 00:15:51.989 So 00:15:51.989 --> 00:15:55.409 don't forget please to subscribe and follow if you really like the 00:15:55.439 --> 00:15:57.149 show you like today's content. 00:15:58.169 --> 00:16:01.799 And I'll see you here same time, same place next week. 00:16:02.369 --> 00:16:05.489 So until then stay blooming, curious.