WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.215 If you've ever wondered why some children light up with joy when they learn. 00:00:06.270 --> 00:00:10.320 While others seem bored and disconnected, this episode will 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:12.839 change how you teach forever. 00:00:13.379 --> 00:00:18.960 Today, I'm sharing the missing ingredient that most early learning environments 00:00:18.990 --> 00:00:26.070 ignore, but it's the secret to raising curious, confident, lifelong learners. 00:00:26.159 --> 00:00:30.270 And no, it's not a fancy program or an expensive resource. 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.309 It's something far more powerful. 00:00:32.610 --> 00:00:33.510 And natural. 00:00:34.080 --> 00:00:38.279 Whether you're a teacher or a parent, stay with me because you're about 00:00:38.279 --> 00:00:43.709 to learn how to foster wonder and exploration and engagement in a way 00:00:43.709 --> 00:00:50.309 that transforms children's lives and your classroom and your home forever. 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:57.809 Let me take you back to my second year of teaching in a pre-primary classroom, I 00:00:57.809 --> 00:01:00.239 had all the beautiful displays on my wall. 00:01:00.809 --> 00:01:06.840 I had perfectly labeled outcomes, maps and all the rest of it, but the 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:08.940 kids never even looked at that wall. 00:01:09.539 --> 00:01:13.530 But one morning while playing outside, some children found 00:01:13.530 --> 00:01:18.060 this weird and interesting looking bug on one of the trees. 00:01:19.065 --> 00:01:21.704 And within minutes, the children started gathering and they started 00:01:21.704 --> 00:01:24.645 asking questions, what is it? 00:01:24.704 --> 00:01:26.025 What is, where does it live? 00:01:26.025 --> 00:01:27.014 What does it eat? 00:01:27.764 --> 00:01:32.865 And that spontaneous moment became a week long, if not 00:01:32.865 --> 00:01:36.375 more, inquiry into Lady Birds. 00:01:36.884 --> 00:01:40.185 We took a photo of this bug and we found it on Google that it was 00:01:40.185 --> 00:01:45.104 actually the larvae of a Lady Bird, one part of the Lady Bird Lifecycle. 00:01:45.824 --> 00:01:47.954 We started researching lady birds. 00:01:47.954 --> 00:01:54.219 We created lifecycle diagrams and the children searched the tree for lady bird 00:01:54.219 --> 00:01:57.160 eggs and adults and juvenile lady birds. 00:01:57.160 --> 00:01:58.449 We read picture books. 00:01:58.449 --> 00:02:02.769 We created art and we even used the spots on lady birds to create 00:02:02.769 --> 00:02:04.509 learning experiences in maths. 00:02:04.570 --> 00:02:07.509 And of course we wrote facts about lady birds. 00:02:07.509 --> 00:02:12.420 I. The learning outcomes, well, it was just tick, tick, tick. 00:02:12.870 --> 00:02:16.110 But more importantly than ticking off those curriculum 00:02:16.110 --> 00:02:19.050 outcomes, the kids were lit up. 00:02:19.260 --> 00:02:23.460 They were excited that week they weren't just learning. 00:02:23.970 --> 00:02:28.170 They were curious, they were driven, and they were hungry to know more. 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:31.975 That moment changed everything for me. 00:02:32.515 --> 00:02:37.525 I realized that curiosity was the engine of learning, and since 00:02:37.525 --> 00:02:42.234 then I've made curiosity, not the curriculum, the starting point. 00:02:42.595 --> 00:02:46.435 I've used nature, open-ended play, and child led inquiry 00:02:46.795 --> 00:02:48.924 to create magic in my lessons. 00:02:48.924 --> 00:02:51.505 Because here's what no one tells you. 00:02:52.495 --> 00:02:54.715 When you follow children's questions. 00:02:55.200 --> 00:02:57.600 They learn more, not less. 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:02.940 And in fact, even I learned stuff about lady birds that I didn't know before. 00:03:03.270 --> 00:03:08.220 If I had just stuck rigidly to that curriculum, neither myself nor the 00:03:08.220 --> 00:03:14.310 children would ever experience this life changing magic of curiosity. 00:03:15.150 --> 00:03:19.950 So what can you do today to bring that spark, that lifelong learning 00:03:19.950 --> 00:03:21.930 of curiosity into your learners? 00:03:22.529 --> 00:03:27.599 Well, I've created a curiosity toolkit just for you, and inside you will find 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:33.059 provocations that spark curiosity and inquiry, open-ended questions to deepen 00:03:33.059 --> 00:03:39.459 thinking, and even a planning template to weave curiosity into your week, and 00:03:39.459 --> 00:03:41.140 of course a little bit more as well. 00:03:41.290 --> 00:03:46.630 And whether you're teaching in a classroom or at home, this toolkit will 00:03:46.630 --> 00:03:52.150 help you shift from compliance based teaching to connection based learning. 00:03:52.690 --> 00:03:54.040 You can download it now. 00:03:54.405 --> 00:04:00.825 At Go dot blooming curious.com/curiosity toolkit or click the link that I'll 00:04:00.825 --> 00:04:02.325 leave for you in the show notes. 00:04:02.864 --> 00:04:06.765 Listen, if you love this episode, don't forget to follow the show and share it 00:04:06.765 --> 00:04:12.234 with an educator who needs this reminder, especially, if you're teaching young 00:04:12.234 --> 00:04:16.615 children, curiosity is the curriculum. 00:04:17.274 --> 00:04:18.174 Thanks for listening. 00:04:18.174 --> 00:04:21.444 Don't forget to subscribe so that you'll be notified each week 00:04:21.714 --> 00:04:23.574 when a new episode goes live. 00:04:23.664 --> 00:04:28.225 I'll see you again next week, same time, same place, and remember, 00:04:28.554 --> 00:04:31.135 until next week, stay and curious. 00:04:31.525 --> 00:04:32.395 Take care of yourself.