curiosity: The secret & essential ingredient

I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on curiosity lately. It's a topic that has always fascinated me. The Oxford dictionary defines curiosity as being, "eager to know or learn something". Imagine if our schools were full of students running into classrooms each morning eager to learn and leaving hungry for more. What a joyful sight that would be! Curiosity is the secret ingredient that can turn our classrooms from bland to flavorful. In fact, I believe it's not only the secret ingredient, but the essential ingredient that is too often missing in our schools. Orderly and predictable classrooms are easier to manage and make us feel more adequate and in control as teachers. Curious classrooms are more inconvenient and messy. We run the risk of not knowing the answers or having our knowledge challenged.

My husband, Russ, and I took a fast and furious trip to Portland this week and I decided to bring the book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, by Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman along. I’ve read the book before. In fact I realized today that I actually had written a post about it this time last year (click here to read, The Magic of Curiosity Unleashed). I remember it resonating deeply the first time, and this time was no different. I had so many sticky tabs lining the pages that I finally gave up, as I realized I was nearly marking each one. A number of quotes stood out to me as I reflected on the power of curiosity in my own life, so I decided to reflect on each one and its importance to classroom learning.

“Curiosity infuses everything with a sense of possibility.”
Curiosity has afforded me so many incredible opportunities over the years. As I think back to when ipads entered my classroom 6 years ago, curiosity was the catalyst that launched me into my transformational journey. I had no idea how to use these devices in a classroom and I definitely wasn’t going to have them sit in an ipad cart to be used only for google searches. My curiosity propelled me to find a conference to explore ways to use the ipads to amplify learning. Going to my first edtech conference was a pivotal moment for me. My curiosity uncovered ideas that I didn’t know existed and sparked new ones. 

“Curiosity is the tool that sparks creativity.
"Curiosity is the technique that gets to innovation.”
Each idea that was sparked got my creative juices flowing which lead to innovative learning in my classroom. The questions prompted by my curiosity created an innovative and creative mindset shift. I was now thinking differently about teaching and learning. One idea, sparked another and then another. Before long learners in my classroom were more immersed and empowered than they had ever been before.

“Creativity motivates us to explore and discover.”
“Curiosity creates interest. It can also create excitement.”
As I explored and discovered new ways to teach and learn, my interest and excitement made me even more curious. I began connecting globally with educators around the world to expand my ideas and perspective and ultimately wanted my students to be as excited to learn as I was.

“Curiosity is itself a form of power, and also a form of courage.”
When I look back on each experience since the ipads entered my classroom, it was ultimately curiosity that fueled me. Curiosity piqued is contagious. I can’t get enough. It powers me and makes me feel courageous and confident. That confidence leads to determination which makes me adventurous and excited to chase my passions and ambition. It also helps me stand by my ideas even if they aren’t the most popular. 

“Creativity rewards persistence.
Persistence is the drive moving you forward.
Curiosity provides the navigation.”
Persistence has been required to chase after my dreams, but my curiosity has kept me on course and led me to some pretty incredible opportunities that I would have missed out on if it wasn’t for my curiosity to explore and ask questions. It also has helped me refine my ideas to make them better. Without curiosity my direction may have veered off course or maybe led to a dead end. 

“Curiosity gets you comfortable being a little uncomfortable.”
As I’ve developed courage in my life, I’ve found that pushing past the status quo means being uncomfortable. We don’t grow by staying cozy. Being uncomfortable must start becoming your mode of operation. 

“The best way to dispel fear is to face it, to be curious.”
Getting uncomfortable means doing scary stuff. Fear has reared its ugly head in my life way more times than I’d like to admit. But I’ve found that it’s a liar. (Click here for a post I wrote about it) Fear is not going to go away, I have to face it head on with curiosity. The more I ask questions the more I am distracted from the internal butterflies and become more informed about what I am worried about. 

“I consciously use curiosity to disrupt my own point of view.” 
​When we are intentional about asking questions and having conversations with people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences we can’t help but start to see the world differently. It challenges your thinking and beliefs and helps shape your own understanding of this wild life we live in. When I look through the eyes of another, I step out of my own narrow perspective. It’s easy to go through life looking at everything as it affects me and the ones I love. But, when I shift that vision off myself, I am able to see things in a whole new way. Connecting with my PLN through Twitter and other social media platforms has allowed me to step out of isolation into a world that is so much bigger than my day to day surroundings. It’s challenged my thinking and understanding of this world and to be more empathetic to and aware of the people I serve.

“Curiosity is what creates empathy.”
​Recently I was at a party with many people that I didn’t know. I began engaging in conversation with a delightful woman who immediately captivated me. From the moment I was introduced to her I could feel her sincerity. She paid attention to my name and even repeated it to make sure she got it right. She began immediately asking questions about myself and my passions and would ask follow up questions to truly understand what I was saying. Her gaze never left the conversation and when the conversation ended she grasped my hand and looked me in the eyes and shared her appreciation for the conversation and my passion and said she hoped to have the opportunity to chat again. I felt from the beginning of our chat to the end her compassion and her genuine curiosity about me. She was invested in what I had to say. I felt valued and validated. I want to be more like that. Intentionally engaging in curious conversations by asking questions that truly allow me to get to know the people that I interact with. “Authentic human connection requires curiosity”

“Curiosity is power for real people, it’s power for people who don’t have superpowers.” There are always going to be lots I don’t know, but owning it and always being open to learning and growing broadens my world to unlimited possibilities.

“Curiosity isn’t just a way of understanding the world. It’s a way of changing it.”
Wow! This is powerful. I hope to not only understand the world that I live in and the people that occupy it, but I hope to be a change agent. I want to leave this world a better place than I found it. Even more, I want to empower my students to be change agents as well and to foster classroom environments that breed curiosity; curious spaces for students to...

Explore
Discover
Spark Creativity
Innovate
Empathize
Disrupt
Face Fears
Be comfortable being uncomfortable
Persist 
Be Courageous

We’re all born curious. It’s up to us to awaken that curiosity in ourselves and our learners. When we unleash creativity there is no end to its power and possibility. Let's make our classrooms places where curiosity is not just the secret ingredient, but the essential ingredient in learning.