Greetings! The International Baccalaureate has ten attributes they consider to be among the traits necessary to be a contributing member of the international community. Every month, I will use my space in Kontak to look at one of these attributes in the context of the Secondary School at Global Jaya. This month, I will focus on what it means to be an inquirer. Being an inquirer is about more than just asking questions; it is about developing and responding to the intrinsic curiosity that drives us to want to learn more.

A lot of recent educational literature has been written about growth mindset, which is necessary if one wishes to be an inquirer. In our school assemblies, I have shared my belief that growth is not a mindset we create, but our natural state of existence. I have done this through the lens of my own son, who is nearly five months old. My son does not make the choice to learn more, he just learns. He does not make the choice to inquire, he just inquires, and does so without saying a word (you know, because he can’t talk yet). I did not teach him how to roll over, he learned how to do it because he was tired of being on his back and kept trying until he was able to do it. That is a mindset that is based on growth, curiosity, hard work and resilience and it is the mindset with which we are all born.

When we talk as a school community about getting our students to learn through inquiry, what we are really talking about (or should be talking about) is helping them find the avenues through which they can spark their internal curiosity about the classes they are taking. Only then can they explore, learn, and develop true understanding.

Steven Spannring

Secondary School Principal