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I once entered a classroom for an unannounced observation, following the principles of the Danielson Framework. It was day four or five of a literature project. Students were everywhere, on the floor, at tables, clustered around whiteboards. Drafting skits that represented different moments from the novel they’d been studying. Instead of interrupting, I quietly sat at the teacher’s desk. Her plan book was open, goals and objectives clearly outlined. A stack of graded work wai

Fundamental Friday: Building the Fundamentals of Inquiry Learning In every classroom, inquiry begins the moment a student wonders. That spark (small, curious, sometimes messy) is the first step in a cycle that shapes deeper thinking: Wonder → Explore → Investigate → Create → Reflect → Share. Inquiry isn’t a strategy you sprinkle on top of instruction; it is the structure that brings learning to life. It gives students a reason to think, a purpose to explore, and an authentic