Inquiry: Michelle Cottrell-Williams | Episode 05

It is fairly common for students to ask, "When will I ever use this?" This is not a meant to disparage the curriculum, but rather it is a challenge for teacher to make the content meaningful and worthwhile.

“We can design our teaching for wonder rather than performance, for curiosity rather than testing, and for innovation rather than compliance. All of it starts with welcoming and valuing the inquisitiveness already inside our students.”

— Shanna Peeples

It is fairly common for students to ask, “When will I ever use this?” This is not a meant to disparage the curriculum, but rather it is a challenge for teacher to make the content meaningful and worthwhile.

Michelle Cottrell-Williams, is an instructional coach at Gunston Middle School in Arlington, VA, the 2018 Virginia State Teacher of the Year, and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. 

Michelle sees herself as a disruptor who challenges her students to not only question the status-quo, but also to engage as citizens who are responsible for the future of their community. 

In this episode of I have the pleasure to learn how Michelle uses inquiry to challenge her students to think about their role in society and taking them beyond the curriculum.

Follow:

• Twitter

• Website

Resources:

• Think Like Socrates: Using Questions to Invite Wonder and Empathy Into the Classroom, Grades 4-12

• C3 Teachers Website

• Jennifer Lempp’s Math Workshop

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