Power Up Curiosity in a new year!
Curiosity is a powerful teaching tool.
One of the best ways to encourage curiosity in children is to model this important characteristic.
There’s no better time to power up curiosity than at the start of a new year.
Beth Schetter works with fourth/fifth grade classes that need remedial assistance. She is a forever curious teacher.
Beth is always looking for ways to help children catch her curious streak.
Beth Schetter keeps the words smart and curious posted on a white board behind here desk.
Post Attention-getting Words that Prompt Curiosity in Kids – Beth keeps the words curious and smart posted on the whiteboard behind her desk.
This is a simple but effective teaching trick to encourage students to put their curiosity to work when they enter her classroom.
Beth also uses these and other prominently posted words to:
1) encourage students to be curious…to read MORE, write MORE, investigate and discover MORE in every subject they study.
2) help students make the connection between being curious and becoming smart.
How else can you power up curiosity in a new year?
Ask Your Class Quick Questions –
Catch kids’ attention and encourage curiosity by asking quick questions as you begin reading a book. Don’t just hold the book up for the class to see. Enlist the attention-getting aid of a stuffed animal that represents a character in the book.
- “What’s wacky about gorillas?”
For example, I’m planning to begin an upcoming writing lesson by holding a stuffed gorilla that almost looks real. I’ll ask the class, “What’s wacky about gorillas?”
Hands will fly with answers and more questions. Curiosity will be off and running, leading to a writing activity that focuses on the students’ favorite wacky animals.
Powering up curiosity can also help spark student interest in research.
About those wacky animals…I’ll suggest to the class that, in addition to writing about wacky animals, they can also read more about wildlife.
What are you curious about? What do your students tell you they’d like to know? Sometimes the shortest questions can lead to long, interesting, attention-sustaining answers…and a whole lot of learning!
Stop back by on Wednesday for Mid-Week Focus.
Talk with you again soon,
Barbara ♥ The Lovable Poet
