I had the most extraordinary day. I spent it talking about the Habitude of Curiosity with K-6 students. I was "invited" to teach them about this critical 21st Century skill, but I left the smarter, wiser, and stronger one. For them, everything is new, novel, and exciting. Simple things, blowing a bubble, finding a rock, seeing the cover of a new book… it all seems to bring awe and amazement.
Today I was reminded of how blessed I am to be in the presence of children, especially young children. They did not need me to "teach" them to be curious, they needed me to just let them be! And when I did, here's what I learned from them:
- I learned that curiosity is more than just asking questions
- Curious learners act different, talk different, and see the world different.
- Grownups don't slow down. If you slow down, you see a lot more cool things like colors and sounds that you miss if you go to fast.
- Curious people are not just better learners, they are better people to be around. When you are curious, you start to care about the world more. You end up being a caring person which then makes you a smart person.
- I may never be Albert Einstein, but I can think like him, and he was really really good at being curious.
- When you ask questions with other people around, your questions become stronger and better because you can combine them. A good question put with another good question becomes a stupendous question! That's why scientists and other smart people work in teams!
In all our conversations about what we need to do to prepare these children for who they will become tomorrow, let's not forget and miss who they are today.
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