The Early Years Learning Framework lists curiosity as one of the contributing dispositions for learning. Investigation, imagination, enthusiasm and exploration are the essential qualities that embed curiosity into any learning landscape.
The question is should this be different for adults? Curiosity shouldn't be limited to the playfulness of children.
Within Early Childhood Education, there is an opportunity to also see adults as confident and involved learners, and to encourage a culture of curiosity, inquisitiveness and even disruption.
A culture of curiosity promotes many ways of thinking. Curiosity helps teams of educators to find interesting solutions to the many challenges they face every day. When educators are free to be curious, I believe many new and exciting avenues for self discovery and learning can be found. There is no doubt that curiosity not only motivates children, it also invigorates educators to learn and be innovative,
So, what does a culture of curiosity look like in a complex working environment, with a mix of policies, regulations, people and practices?
Leading educators through stage 4 lockdown there were a few things I considered during this time when educators were balancing an onsite and off-site work life. I asked the question, 'How can I create a virtual space that inspires innovation and creativity?'
I believed fostering a culture of curiosity required-
*Educators to feel trusted to make decisions and act on their own
*Educators to feel confident and comfortable to ask questions and respectfully challenge decisions
*Educators to critically reflect on each others pedagogical practices
*Educators to come up with bold solutions and put forward creative ideas with enthusiasm
As a leader can you imagine how different the outcomes would be if challenges were met with curiosity? Through having an arena that provided opportunities to be curious, educators thrived and inspired others to learn, create and provide better outcomes for children on their return to working on-site.
Reflect on how you address challenges in your setting, could you apply a new framework for working through them? You could try prompts such as- "What if......? What would that look like if.........? How might you think about this from a different perspective?"
As a leader I never see a definite answer, there is always room for curiosity............................