Curiosity: A Window to Great Instruction

Curiosity: A Window to Great Instruction

 

Anyone who has ever spent time with a four-year-old will have experienced the insatiable curiosity and wonderment at the world all around them, as they ask, over and over again, “why?” They want to know the reason for anything and everything, and this curiosity is what makes them the most teachable, according to Ramsey Musallam, high school chemistry teacher of over 13 years.

In his 2013 TED Talk, Musallam talks about his 3 rules for sparking students’ learning and imagination. Small children learn so much because they want to know so much, and Musallam explains that in order for students to learn, they need to have that curiosity and desire to know.

“If we have the guts to confuse our students, perplex them, and evoke real questions, through those questions, we as teachers have information that we can use to tailor robust and informed methods of blended instruction,” Musallam said.

So how can we help students to become teachable? Mussalam highlights 3 rules for sparking students’ learning and imagination:

1. Curiosity comes first. Real learning is bound to occur when the student, much like the four-year-old, knows the “why” behind something before being lectured on it. “Questions can be windows to great instruction, but not the other way around.”
2. Embrace the mess. Musallam states the fact that “learning is ugly” and teachers must embrace the messy and inevitable process of trial and error. Some things will work and some won’t, just like in the scientific method.
3. Practice reflection. Self-evaluation and assessment are keys to improvement. He says, “what we do is important. It deserves our care, but it also deserves our revision.” Products like Audio Enhancement’s VIEWpath can be great tools to help teachers self-reflect.

Invoke questions, embrace trial and error, and then reflect on what does and does not work. Musallam asks, “Can we be the surgeons of our classrooms? As if what we are doing one day will save lives. Our students are worth it.” Your commitment to curiosity in the classroom will make a world of difference in the way your students think and learn.