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.

Teachers: Click here for curiosity-fueled classroom resources!

¹Children’s Questions: A Mechanism for Cognitive Development on JSTOR