We educators have spent much of our time focusing on what children are expected to learn, but how they learn is often less of a focus. Babies are born with “core knowledge” that helps them process the world. When the world doesn’t function according to what babies think will happen, they become further engaged and curious to learn more (see “Why Babies Love (And Learn From) Magic Tricks” in NPR Ed).

We know curiosity is a key reason why all humans pursue learning. In our TPA, we look for strategies in learning walks that teachers use to engage students through novelty and variety—the kind of work that engages our learners through their natural curiosity and inquisitiveness. When our students pursue learning through inquiry—your questions, their questions, discussions and projects that engage their minds—we are taking advantage of the natural drive of humans to learn.