To be a Montessorian is to be curious.
But with the multitude of daily tasks and obligations teachers and school administrators face, curiosity can sometimes fall by the wayside.
Prioritizing curiosity breeds better learning environments for students. When curiosity is embraced by a head of school, the power of questioning spreads, creating a community of lifelong learners.
Encourage Inquiry and Exploration Through Modeling
Modeling the perpetual pursuit of knowledge emboldens students and staff to do the same.
Eric Dustman, head of school at the Montessori School of Maui (MOMI), is the epitome of a lifelong learner. A frequent attendee and presenter of workshops and conferences, when Eric isn’t supporting his team of teachers, he’s often reading a wide array of content, not just pedagogy. And these days, he’s also writing.
Eric recently published his first book, From the Head: A Resource of Letters to Motivate, Inspire, and Affirm Leaders, featuring a series of letters sent over the years to faculty and parents at MOMI in his weekly “recaps.”
Initially developed as a way of introducing himself to families, Eric uses the recurring recaps as an opportunity to share topics he’s passionate about, including empathy, connection, and relationships. By sharing his ideas, he encourages those within his community to pause and reflect.
Not only do his recaps spread ideas worth sharing, but through his writing he also demonstrates his own natural curiosity, modeling the behavior for others. The recaps also serve as conversation starters for the community, often leading to dialogue amongst staff and families. It has become a weekly ritual that sparks school-wide learning and exploration.
Support Teachers with Curious Questions
Eric believes that a key to transformational leadership lies in challenging teachers to self-reflect. He does this by creating conversations and facilitating an environment that supports ongoing dialogue, something that can even lead to healthy debate.
Asking teachers questions and regularly engaging in conversation builds strong relationships within teams and fosters a climate of growth and joyful learning.
Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John, professors at Harvard Business School, agree. They write in The Surprising Power of Questions that:
The opinions expressed in Montessori Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of AMS.