Episode 169 | Curiosity, Trust, and the Children in Our Classrooms w/ Inbal Alon

What happens when a child keeps asking, “Why?”

In this episode of Our Classroom, Roberto Germán sits down with librarian and children’s author Inbal Alon to discuss her picture book, The Whys Get in Trouble.

Through the story of Naomi, a child whose questions don’t always fit neatly into the expectations around her, Inbal invites us to think about what happens when children’s natural curiosity collides with adult expectations for compliance. As Naomi begins to lose her “Whys,” even the world around her seems to lose some of its sparkle.

Together, Roberto and Inbal explore:

• The difference between curiosity and perceived defiance
• How schools can unintentionally discourage questioning
• Why protecting curiosity is different from simply tolerating it
• What happens when children ask questions at inconvenient times
• How educators can help students leave our classrooms with more questions, not fewer

This conversation is an invitation to reconsider what we mean when we say we want students to be curious.

Maybe the goal isn't to have all the answers.

Maybe it's to protect the Whys.