Creating a Culture of Inquiry

This year I have the privilege of working with each learning community one day a week to support the design of the inquiry projects that the children are immersed in.  It requires me, as well as all our team to participate in the process of meaning making with the children as we work our way through continuous encounters and notice the questions, the theories and the convictions that children hold about the world.

As we weave our way through the uncertainties, complexities, contradictory notions and often unexpected questions about what we are exploring together, a pathway for the imagination, intuition and creativity is released to help us bring our thinking together.  It is a wonderful place to be - not quite knowing, but having the courage to explore.

Our three teams have been exploring the 'Language of Connection' over the past few weeks as we have built relationships with the children and the children to each other.  It has been a wonderful start to the year with our teams ready to launch into some inquiry project work that has come out of our wonderings and noticing's as we have worked alongside the children.  

Inquiry based learning is not for the faint hearted.  It takes courage to consider the possibilities, and a considered approached to design the contexts (learning offerings) that may offer a platform for thinking and expression of understanding.  Inquiry based learning requires our educators to be;

 "fully present in the moment-by-moment unfolding of life that they (the children) share with us, leaning forward with eager curiosity and with glad engagement, confident that what offers itself is worthy of their full attention."

(Ann Pelo and Margie Carter 2018, 'From Teaching to Thinking')

We look forward to sharing with you our 'Declarations of Intent' (our design thinking around the inquiries) in the coming weeks as we lean into the curiosities of the children.