Why don't I ask, "What’s your favorite color?"

By Lacey Hunter

We’ve all been there. We meet a new student or a friend’s toddler, and in an effort to show that we want to get to know the child and make connections, we ask, “What’s your favorite color?”

Kids usually have the boilerplate answer ready to go when a well-meaning adult asks the predictable question. Telling someone your favorite color is as standard as relaying your name, age, or birthday.

Just like the rest of the world, I spent two years on sometimes-awkward Zoom meetings participating in icebreaker activities, including answering “favorites” questions. When asked “What’s your favorite color?” my gut response went something like, I love to wear emerald green and also like that color for bathroom walls, pink and peach sunsets make me happy, I have fond memories of the yellow coffee cups in my college apartment, when I went shopping for a new purse last week I was really drawn to royal blues, I have a favorite purple ballpoint pen, the neighbors chose an amazing shade of rusty orange for their porch… and on and on. Why on earth would I commit to ONE color and declare it my favorite when there are basically endless colors and hues to choose from!? Have we considered how limiting it might be to ask a child to choose their favorite?? There are 18 decillion colors out there!

What if we make a simple adjustment to this well-intentioned inquiry? What if we ask, “What colors do you love?” and let them tell us about the orange backpack they carry everywhere, their super soft pink blanket, and the purple sweater they never want to take off. What if we stopped ourselves from asking them what their favorite animal is and instead ask a question that invites them to share about the myriad animal facts they know and the stories they have about their neighbor’s dog and the kangaroo they saw at the zoo and the spider they rescued from the kitchen?

As innocent and well-intentioned the question “What’s your favorite color?” is, let’s kick it to the curb and open up the possibilities.

Lacey is a preschool teacher at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School in Washington DC. She was in the 2016 cohort of residents through Center for Inspired Teaching. She is originally from Idaho and has been in the District since 2014. When she’s not in her classroom, Lacey loves riding her bike, working in her garden, playing with her two Savannah cats, and spending time with her family. She thinks spring in DC is the bees knees and she’s so excited to be outdoors with her students!

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.