Welcome back to Blooming Curious.
I'm Edwina, and today we're gonna get straight to the point.
We're gonna talk a lot about helping kids become curious learners, but
here's the uncomfortable truth.
Most adults aren't modeling curiosity at all.
And that's a problem.
Kids don't do what we say, they do what we do.
Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or both.
Your actions are the real curriculum.
They're watching the way you ask questions, how you react when you
don't know something, and whether you light up with wonder or whether you
shut down with just that's how it is.
Even animals watch and learn from behavior.
Our children are no different.
They're picking up cues from us every single day.
So let's be real.
If we want children to be curious, then we have to show
them what curiosity looks like.
It's curiosity in action.
Let's break it down.
I'm going to give you five practical ways that you can model curiosity right now,
either in your classroom or in your home.
Number one, say, I don't know and mean it if you don't know something,
and then look it up together.
Show kids that not knowing isn't a weakness.
It's the start of learning, and you don't need to be an expert.
You just need to be the example.
And as a side note, look it up in a book instead of just
asking Siri or Googling it.
Young children have no place online or with technology.
We want them to be the creators, not the consumers of information.
Number two.
Ask real questions, not rhetorical ones, not questions that you
already know the answer to.
Ask big open-ended questions that invite wonder and curiosity.
Why do birds fly in a V?
What would happen if trees could talk?
How do animals communicate with each other?
Let kids see your mind stretching.
That's what curiosity looks like.
Number three.
Is, get excited about learning out loud.
If you are reading something fascinating, say so.
If a podcast blows your mind, share it.
Let your enthusiasm be contagious.
Kids pick up on your emotional tone.
If learning excites you, it'll start to excite them too.
Number four, try new things and fail publicly.
Take up a new hobby or learn a new language or burn the recipe.
Let your students or your children see you struggle and try again.
Curiosity without risk isn't real.
Show them that trying and failing is part of the deal.
This is great in your classroom too if you're gonna try a new strategy.
Tell them what it is and why and what you hope to get out of it.
And then invite them to be part of the strategy.
Inquiry learning is a fantastic strategy for this.
Number five is Wonder out Loud.
I wonder why the sky's pink tonight.
I wonder how ants find their way home.
Wondering out loud invites kids into a mindset where questions are natural
and welcomed, not shut down or ignored.
And it keeps your brain alive too.
And here's the truth.
Curiosity isn't something you teach.
It's something you live.
The role of an educator is shifting, and it's not about knowing everything.
It's just about being a curious co-learner alongside the child.
If you wanna change your classroom or your home, change how you learn.
Model curiosity.
Be bold enough to wonder, open enough to learn, and brave
enough to say, I don't know.
That's how we raise thinkers.
That's how we build a culture of lifelong learning.
Thanks for listening today.
If you found this helpful, please share it to the fellow Curious
Educator or parent and go and check out my Curiosity toolkit at
go.bloomingcurious.com/curiositytoolkit.
It's a framework packed with practical strategies to help you bring this
mindset into every part of your teaching.
I'll leave a link in the show notes for you so you can get it there.
So until next time.
Stay curious, stay real, and take care of yourself.
I'll see you then.