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I was fascinated by this morning's presentation. One of Wendy's exploration questions - "Is your consciousness the same as mine?" - keeps resonating in the back of my mind. When she stated that we often "tend to make that assumption about our students, but it's not our job to fill their brains," it connected with our inquiry learning conversations. It's engaging rather than filling minds that is key in creating the kind of classroom environments in which critical/analytical thinking intertwines with factual learning.

Ashley's experiments engaged our small groups immediately in very comfortable conversations about the whys & hows of our particular activity. In the whole group discussion, I tried to remember high school experiences that stood out because of my personal involvement. It was a strain to recall any, which is why she'll be such a gift to her future students. Concern for helping students make connections as they learn, tempered with idealism, motivation, and engagement are admirable qualities for fresh AND seasoned teachers!