Inquiry-based learning

After reading the website on inquiry-based learning, I feel that I have experienced it in my own life and that I do try and bring it to the classroom in the subjects I teach.

Having done my undergraduate studies in English at a liberal arts college, I feel like my English literature often used inquiry-based thinking to guide our classroom discussions. One professor in particular would often read us a passage of literature, ask us what we thought and sit there until someone was brave enough to answer the question. I was often that someone brave enough. My college fostered an environment where any answer could be right, if you could adequately prove your point, but even if you weren't right, they were happy you were thinking about it. They were not afraid to sit in silence. I feel that this means of discussion is important because the students learn more about what they notice, and what they find interesting about a body of literature, rather than spending the class breaking down the technicalities of the work.

With my own students, though they may be in first and second grade, I like to bring this type of approach to my lessons. I always encourage questions and do my research to find the answers. During my lessons I like to sit with them at their desks or at a table and have a discussion about the topic rather than teach them facts. I feel the education process is better when it teaches the basics, then works on the difficult questions, rather than merely instructs with no room for inquiry. Letting the kids really wrap their brain around the subject matter gets them interested and excited.