Let It Go

While beneficial to student engagement and learning outcomes, student-created research questions require a shift in thinking for the teaching team, which is made up of the school librarian, classroom teacher(s), and other specialists designing the inquiry learning experience. For librarians leading inquiry learning, this shift can seem difficult to manage. Relinquishing control of research outcomes can cause concern that students will not master the standards a unit is designed to address. By thoughtfully designing the culture, resources, and language around questioning and inquiry learning, the teaching team can be empowered to loosen their hold and guide learners to create high-level inquiry questions that spark the excitement of students and teachers alike. This article outlines four strategies for guiding student questioning: (1) developing and maintaining a classroom culture that supports questioning; (2) providing students with curated resources that build background knowledge while laying the foundation for inquiry questions that address the content; (3) building questions around a framework where questioning is consistently modeled, practiced, and encouraged; and (4) enabling students to constantly rewrite, revise, and reimagine their inquiry questions. This design empowers the teaching team to fully address curriculum and standards while empowering students to be the masters of their own learning.