August 20, 2026

Dear Educator,

One of the enduring questions about change is "which comes first, the mindset or the action?"

My colleague Meg Parry wrote about the powerful loop between mindset and practice:

“Imagine you have a small intuition that something could be different in your classroom or school, prompting you to make a minor change in practice. When this change succeeds, it confirms your intuition, encouraging you to try another small change.

As this cycle continues, you gradually shift your mindset about what is possible for learners. You created a virtuous cycle of change, evolving into an upward spiral that catalyzes deeper and broader change in you and your learners.”

I love this idea because meaningful change so often begins with a wondering. What if we tried this? What if there were a better way? What might happen if we created different conditions for learners?

Those intuitions are fueled by our beliefs about learners and what they are capable of. But when fear, doubt, or the pressure to keep doing things the way they’ve always been done prevents us from acting on those ideas, we miss the opportunity to discover what might be possible.

This week’s Bright Spot is a powerful example of an educator who wondered, "How might I inspire curiosity rather than simply fill students with knowledge?

With Gratitude,

Making Curiosity Visible

If we design learning around giving young people the answers without making room for their wonderings and questions, we shouldn’t be surprised when they eventually stop asking questions and start waiting for us to tell them what to do.

Melissa Thorpe wanted something different.

She believed it was important for her learners to ask more questions, and for them to see their questions as an important part of learning. So she created a “Burning Questions” board, a space where students could make their curiosity visible.

But the board itself is only part of the story. Melissa also created space within her lessons for students’ questions to be explored, honored, and encouraged. In doing so, she sent an important message: Your questions matter. Your curiosity belongs here. You have a role in shaping your learning.

It’s a small shift in practice rooted in a powerful belief about learners. And when students respond with greater curiosity and ownership, that experience can reinforce the belief and inspire the next shift.

That’s the virtuous cycle of change in action.

Little ideas and small shifts in practice can have an outsized impact. We don’t always need to wait for the perfect plan, a new initiative, or complete certainty before trying something different.

Here’s to staying curious—and creating the conditions for our learners to do the same.

What is one “burning question” you have about your own practice, school, or community? And what small shift could you try to begin discovering the answer? To help spark inspiration and action, check out our library of Classroom Strategies and our System-Wide Big Moves pages.

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Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 When Educators Build Together, Learners Lead the Way. "Educators found permission to slow down, center learners, and trust the messiness of authentic design." Feel the messiness and joy of learner-centered design.

📈 Redesign Educator Growth Plans & Evaluations. "Evaluation models in a school-centered paradigm focus on compliance and accountability. As we shift our focus to empowering learners, we must also empower educators and leaders by focusing on feedback and development." How you can support voice and choice in educator growth.

🤔 Mindsets Reflection Tool. "As we work to create learner-centered environments, examining our own water—our culture, assumptions, and beliefs—is key to cultivating the mindset shifts needed to change the water we’re swimming in." Reflect on your mindset here.