"Curiosity doesn't need to be managed. It needs to be trusted."
Jun 30, 2025
I just returned from South Africa — yes, again — visiting the @Green School SA . And once more, the moment you step onto campus, something hits you:
👋 Learners greet you kindly, without skipping a beat in what they're doing.
🧠 They explain not only what they’re working on, but why.
🌱 They stand in the garden, calmly listening to Bruce explain which plants are edible — and ask back:
"But if this plant grows in dirty water, can we still eat it?"
"I don’t think so," says a student. "The plant purifies the water, so that dirt would now be in the plant."
Bruce smiles: “Exactly.”
No one told them to “pay attention.”
No one warned them to “behave for the visitor.”
They’re not performing learning.
They’re living it.
That’s what happens when your learning environment isn’t built on control, but on trust.
On safety — and the freedom to take cognitive risks.
On structure — and the confidence to stretch within it.
These learners aren’t just absorbing information.
They’re absorbing identity.
And they’re proud.
Of their school.
Of their work.
Of the why behind it all.
Let’s stop obsessing over outcomes.
Let’s start designing spaces where this becomes normal.
A big thanks to @Alba Brandt the founder of Green School SA, and the kind staff members for having me over again!!
