Classrooms Where Curiosity and Inquiry Thrive
The quality of learning depends on a lot of factors. One of the most important of these factors includes children’s curiosity and how important it is to prioritize asking and answering questions. Being one of the best ICSE Prep Schools in Patiala, here are some ways the spirit of curiosity can be sustained in classrooms.
- Exploring and Learning Through Play
For a more in-depth and meaningful learning experience, it is important that children first get time to explore and question the things they are going to learn. Before introducing a new topic or activity, kids should get an opportunity to play with new materials and stuff. This satiates their curiosity and the desire to touch and play. The next day when the activity is introduced they will already have a sturdy foundation of experience and will adhere to instructions more diligently leading to increase in engagement, better questions and deeper comprehension.
- Turning Lessons into Project-based Learning Opportunities
While it is true that basing a lesson around a project can be overwhelming, but it can also prove to be deeply enriching for teachers and students as they get plenty opportunities to explore their interests and ask questions. This then acts as a springboard for more exploration while also staying well within the boundaries of the teachers’ requirements. Use kids’ curiosity to fuel questions to investigate and teach them how and where to find the answers using books or technology. This way they learn how asking questions and exploring can lead to new knowledge.
- It’s Okay to Not Know Everything
When kids ask questions teachers usually either answer the question and move on with the lesson or sometimes they may say that this is not the right time. But when you don’t know the answer to a question you can simply tell them that you don’t know but it’s a great question. Now how can we find the answer? This will pique their curiosity and they will look for answers through books, videos, Google or experiments. This process will be very fruitful in the long run and ther children take ownership and build their knowledge together.
- Effective Strategy for Handling Questions
The classroom environment should be such that kids feel free and encouraged to ask as many questions as they want and should feel welcomed. But teachers should be careful about how they answer questions so that the lesson at hand is completed on time while also giving time to questions that may potentially lead to a new discussion. They should formulate a clean ‘question plan or strategy’ to handle different questions in an effective way. Questions drive learning in an inquiry-based classroom and it is crucial that students feel empowered to ask them and have them answered properly.
At the best ICSE Prep school in Patiala, our curriculum and learning environment are designed to engage students productively in the process of learning by promoting free thought, inquiry, curiosity and exploration.
