The Magic of Inquiry
Hi, I’m Michelle. I help teachers like you make their young learner classrooms an inclusive, learner-centred space with inquiry-based learning.
Teaching kids is hard
Are you struggling to really engage your primary students? Maybe you’re tired of searching for ways to get your young learners excited about learning English or you’re finding it hard to get them to actually use the language in the classroom.
Teaching young learners can be frustrating. Primary and secondary students often struggle to see the relevance of English. Whilst we know how important learning languages is for their future, for children this may not immediately be clear.
We need to make learning meaningful
For this reason it’s essential to connect what we’re teaching students to the world outside the classroom and to our students’ lives.
“Turn to page 47 in your Student Book” is not going to get your students jumping for joy.
We need to find a way to make whatever is on page 47 meaningful for students. Either that, or scrap it entirely.
Whether you’re looking for a whole new approach that will enable you to design learning experiences that really motivate your students or you’re just looking for ways to take learning off the page of your course book, at Inspiring Inquiries we have something for you.
Inquiry-based learning sounded like the ideal way to make my classes more rigorous yet also fun and interesting for my learners. The course did not disappoint!
Our Approach
We believe that active learning approaches are the best way for younger students to learn a language. With active learning, students are involved in every step of their learning journey. We start with what they know and what they want to know – and we go from there.
Inquiry-based learning is an active learning approach where we harness our students’ natural curiosity about the world and use it to make our lessons truly engaging. We teach the language that they want to learn and the vocabulary and structures that they need to continue their English learning journey. Along the way, students develop a variety of skills and competencies that will allow them to thrive in the workplace and in society as responsible adults in the future.
This sounds like exactly what I need! Where do I start?
Inquiry Resource Packs
Specifically designed for ELT teachers, these thematic resource packs provide the materials and planning you need to set up a dynamic learning experience for your students.
The Training Pathway
A comprehensive six-week online course on inquiry-based learning, designed specifically for ELT teachers working in the English language classroom.
Training for Schools
Two-day face-to-face workshops and extended online options available for schools or organisations wishing to provide training for groups of teachers.
I would highly recommend the Inspiring Inquiries Training Pathway. Despite not working in the primary classroom, it was easy to apply the materials and scenarios to my own specific context. As a teacher trainer and materials writer, it gave me the opportunity to re-think my approach to teacher training and how I can engage teachers and get them more invested in their own development. The course is very clear and easy to follow, with the added benefit of being able to discuss and try things out in the live sessions. Michelle guides you through the ideas behind inquiry-based learning, but the course is very practical so it gives you ideas you can use straight away in the classroom. A clear benefit is working with the other course participants and having a feeling of community. I would recommend it for all young learner teachers, even those who feel like they are constrained by having to use a textbook or follow a set syllabus in the school where they teach since many aspects of this course that can be applied to all types of young learner class. This type of teaching can have a wonderfully positive impact on learners especially those who don’t thrive in a more traditional classroom environment.
Do you struggle to make your lessons work for ALL your learners?
You’re in the right place. One-size-fits-all teaching just doesn’t cut it in today’s diverse classrooms. Our learners have a variety of different needs and interests which we need to consider when we plan our lessons and source suitable materials. Gone are the days of cookie-cutter lesson plans that leave some students feeling left behind while others are bored and disengaged.
Inquiry-based learning allows you to create engaging and dynamic lessons that cater to the unique needs and interests of your students.
Imagine a classroom where every student is actively involved in their own learning journey. Picture the excitement and curiosity that fills the room as students explore, question, and discover together. This is the power of inquiry-based learning.
At Inspiring Inquiries, we offer training and resources specifically designed to help you implement this learner-centred approach in your classroom. Our courses provide practical strategies and techniques that will transform your teaching practice and create a more inclusive and meaningful learning experience for all your students.
But what is inquiry-based learning?
Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach in which learners explore a real world topic in order to learn more about the world. Similar to Project-based learning, in inquiry-based learning students identify what they want to learn, do research and finally present their findings. The inquiry framework structures learning into a series of stages that can be the basis for anything from a few lessons to a whole term. During an inquiry, students learn a variety of skills including collaboration, problem solving, creative thinking and digital literacy.
When we use such as approach in the ELT classroom, we embed language learning into each inquiry. Students will learn vocabulary that is relevant to the topic and structures that will help them carry out each stage, creating a meaningful context for language learning.
Find out more about inquiry-based learning in this blog post:
