That quiet resistance that creeps in before the lesson, the project, the page. The inner critic that whispers, “What if this doesn’t work?” or worse—“What if this shows I’m not good enough?” is essentially our own narrator, identifying that we are in a new position. At the start of something. And yet, as educators, we ask students to start every single day. We ask them to try, to stretch, to create—and we hope they trust us enough to take those risks.

In inquiry-based classrooms, students don’t just answer questions—they ask them. By engaging students in open-ended questions and reflection, we put them in control of their learning. Trevor MacKenzie’s work on question competence highlights how students can develop this skill through regular practice. Teachers can help by using simple yet powerful strategies like provocations and student-generated questions, allowing learners to explore topics that matter to them.

In leading his school community, John Falino didn’t begin with a pitch for any particular model. He began by inviting conversation. Together, with his team they asked, “What do we value in education?” Then, they aligned their curriculum, instruction, and professional learning to reflect those answers. Teachers weren’t just trained—they were included. They were invited to become designers of learning, grounded in real-world skills and a shared purpose that made sense. And, most importantly, they were afforded the time, the resources, and the professional learning opportunities to make it possible. Everything working together.