Be Curious.
Young children ask 107 questions an hour¹.
When we’re young, being curious is the default. Asking “why” — about everything — is how we learn new things and discover more about the world around us. But as we get older, life can feel a little less awe-inspiring, and our responsibilities in school, at home, or in the workplace can often crowd out time for curiosity.
At Center for Inspired Teaching, we have spent three decades teaching teachers how to create authentically engaged classrooms where students’ learning is fueled by curiosity rather than compliance. Amid divisive rhetoric, high-stakes elections, and growing prejudices — and the impact of these trends in our school communities and academic outcomes — this work has taken on new urgency. We believe curiosity is the antidote to polarization; the desire to explore difference and the unknown counteracts bias and sets the foundation for knowledge and understanding.
¹Children’s Questions: A Mechanism for Cognitive Development on JSTOR
Teachers: Click here for curiosity-fueled classroom resources!
Stretch beyond what you already know.
To kick-start our effort to make Curiosity the Word of the Year in 2025, Inspired Teaching launched the 7-Day Curiosity Challenge! Beginning January 21, participants received a daily Challenge designed to spark curiosity and fuel discovery, as well as additional resources and information for making the most of their curiosity. You’ll find each Challenge below and can tackle them at any time!
Join Inspired Teaching in making 2025 a year full of curiosity.
Sign up for the Curiosity Challenge today! Throughout the year, Inspired Teaching will share exclusive interviews, prompts, and tools to support exploring and understanding new things about yourself, your community, and the wider world. Help us make Curiosity Word of the Year in 2025!
