Building a Curious School

Bryan Goodwin thrives on translating research into practice, scanning the world for new insights and best practices on teaching and leading, and helping educators everywhere adapt them to address their own challenges. A frequent conference presenter, he is the author of Out of Curiosity: Restoring the Power of Hungry Minds for Better Schools, Workplaces, and Lives and Simply Better: Doing What Matters Most to Change the Odds for Student Success, and is co-author of Curiosity Works: A Guidebook for Moving Your School from Improvement to Innovation; The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching; and Balanced Leadership for Powerful Learning: Tools for Achieving Success in Your School. Before joining McREL in 1998, Bryan was a college instructor, a high school teacher, and an award-winning business journalist.

Foreword by Salome Thomas-EL Part I: Getting Curious About Curiosity Chapter 1: What is This Funny Little Thing Called Curiosity? Chapter 2: Are We Naturally Curious? Chapter 3: This Is Your Brain on Curiosity Part II: Curiosity in Classrooms Chapter 4: Quashing Curiosity Chapter 5: Engineered Boredom Chapter 6: Reengineering Learning with Curiosity in Mind Chapter 7: When Teams Lose Their Curiosity Part III: Curiosity in School Communities Chapter 8: Inquire Within Chapter 9: Creating Curious Organizations Part IV: Curious at Heart Chapter 10: Alone Together Chapter 11: Going Cold Turkey Chapter 12: Falling In Love With Curiosity Part V: Curious for Good Chapter 13: The Search for Happiness Chapter 14: Curiously Happy Chapter 15: A Wonderful Life Epilogue: Standing at a Curious Crossroads

This is an important book. Although many authors have written about curiosity as a powerful tool in the learning process, none, to my knowledge, have approached the topic with the clarity provided by Bryan Goodwin. Much more than a collection of instructional strategies, this book lays out a vision as to the way schools can and should be approached to stimulate curiosity as a natural part of the teaching/learning process. -- Robert J. Marzano This intriguing read is thought-provoking, relevant and practical all at once. Goodwin researches the strong links between creativity and longevity, creativity and student engagement, and creativity and strong instruction in the classroom. A powerful 'must-read' for all educators who want learning not only to be lively but also impactful and meaningful for every student. -- Lyn Sharratt * University of Toronto, Canada * Bryan reminds us that wonder and curiosity are natural forces in all of us that need to be rekindled in our schools if we are to make learning engaging and meaningful. -- Harvey Silver, Education Coach and Consultant We have come to recognize that in education the key to success lies within the context of collaborative inquiry as a means for questioning, learning, and improving. Bryan Goodwin has gone beyond this general viewpoint and defined the secret ingredient for success among students, teachers, schools and organizations; curiosity. Building a Curious School provides the research, reflective activities and tools that are needed to bring curiosity to life in our schools. -- Jay Westover With heavy doses of wit, research, and real-talk, Building a Curious School explores a rather obvious-but often untrodden-path to improvement in classrooms, schools, relationships, and even happiness. This is a book I couldn't put down, and I'll read it again and again! -- Pete Hall