Provoking student interest in learning

I say again I’m in a fortunate role as principal to see some amazing products and processes of learning and I’m guilty of not sharing these as often as I should. So here goes:

• the first two photos show an 11-year-old student’s investigation into the scientific understandings behind whirlpools. Students were encouraged to inquire into a scientific wondering of their own choosing and then share this with the class. I saw some amazing exhibitions of student wondering.
• the bottom photo is three-year 2 students inquiring into the history of the school. They were interviewing me about the time the school was turned into a hospital in the 1940’s and when the red tractor appeared at school. Neither of these events was in my time as principal but I have read up on them and duly answered their questions. We then got into a free wheeling discussion about when the first computers were at school and when was our school orchard first planted and why. Their passion about their school’s history was really evident.

They say you make your own luck – I say in this case when you provoke students interests and let they have some say in what they learn then you get the sort of experiences I’m describing.