Experience Inquiry
5 Powerful Strategies, 50 Practical Experiences
Foreword by Kath Murdoch, Author of The Power of Inquiry
Corwin Teaching Essentials
"Strategic and deliberate approaches to inquiry have been shown to be extremely helpful to educators who seek to ensure that they are meeting the needs of their students. In this important new book, Kimberly Mitchell provides practical insights and methods for how to incorporate inquiry into their practice. For educators who seek to enhance their effectiveness and make a difference for all of the students they serve, this book will be an invaluable resource and guide."
Pedro A. Noguera, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Education
UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies,
Los Angeles, CA
"Kimberly has translated the latest terminology—pedagogical jargon—into lively language and useful advice that will strike a chord for classroom teachers! She 'gets it.'"
Deborah Meier, Educator & Author
Coalition of Essential Schools
Plenty of resources speak to the benefits of inquiry, the research behind it, and even subject-specific processes to follow. But that’s not enough. Implementing inquiry is the tricky part, and involves changing beliefs about the teacher and student roles in the classroom. Most critically, we as teachers must engage in inquiry ourselves to successfully implement it in the classroom.
One part practical guide, one part interactive journal, this book provides the opportunity to do inquiry as you read about it. You’ll learn what inquiry-based instruction looks like in practice through five key strategies, all of which can be immediately implemented in any learning environment. This resource offers
- Practical examples of what inquiry looks like in the classroom, and how to do it
- Opportunities for reflection throughout the book, including self-surveys, templates, and tools
- A user-friendly handbook format for quick reference and logical progression through your inquiry journey
- Fifty practical inquiry experiences that can be used individually, with students, or in small groups of teachers
These strategies and experiences will improve your relationships with students and colleagues, reduce your workload by asking more of students, and breathe joyful curiosity back into your classroom. Let’s get out of our comfort zones and do inquiry-based teaching in a more practical and powerful way! Are you ready?
"The shift from 'what' and 'how to' to 'why' and 'what if' is a must for 21st century educators, and Experience Inquiry provides a powerful, but practical framework for any educator to join education's long overdue critical thinking revolution."
"Kimberly Mitchell is a fabulous teacher and coach who has managed to create in Experience Inquiry a book as engaging for readers as the classrooms she envisions are for students. It’s a must-read if you’re looking for support on your path towards helping your students gain the curiosity, understanding, and creativity to shape a better future."
"This book will help you grow your own ideas about what it means to do inquiry. It will help you learn more about yourself and your students by inviting you to work through a set of thought-provoking and practical exercises. Invite your colleagues along in this journey and you’ll find yourselves taking new steps towards envisioning and creating inquiry-based classrooms."
“With skill and grace, Mitchell navigates the important questions that teachers – and all educators – should be asking themselves. Deeply personal, reflective, and inspirational, Experience Inquiry is a treasure-trove of carefully-crafted, eminently practical ideas for improving the practice of teaching. Bravo!”
“Mitchell's book is honest and while it could have been full of 'eduspeak', it is not. It is real, focused, and to the point. Full of suggestions on how to implement and refine your inquiry practice, this book is inspiring and practical. As a life-long learner myself, this book helped me share in the enthusiasm kids have for learning. From the perspective of a teacher, it's a toolkit we should all make our own!”
"Experience Inquiry is full of tangible strategies for fostering inquiry with students of any age. Kimberly Mitchell has knocked it out of the park with this book- it's highly readable, accessible and chock full of great information. I loved the practical exercises that allow you to try as you go. This is a must read for teachers looking to use inquiry-based teaching in the classrooms. Buy this book today and read it with your team."
"So many people fancy themselves experts on teaching, but few of them have the wisdom of Kimberly Mitchell. Her ceaseless focus on inquiry and call for teachers to 'talk less and ask more' are some of simplest, but powerful pieces of wisdom I've come across in my decade plus in the classroom."
"Kimberly Mitchell has put together a powerful book at a key time in the evolution of how we teach, and how students learn. Central to the purpose of this book is the understanding that creating a culture of inquiry begins with the teacher. Many educators know this, but may not have had the opportunity, or the guidance, to really explore what this means for them, their habits, and their practices. This book does just that. Writing in a friendly and informal style, Mitchell invites us to be introspective and to really ponder who we are as educators in this critical time, a time when traditional teaching habits need to be rapidly replaced with those that promote student choice, decision-making, and empowerment. With a rich variety of anecdotes, examples, wisdom ,and practical-thinking tools and strategies, Experience Inquiry is a must-have for the 21st century educator."