As the saying goes Inquiring Minds Want to Know and so it goes with education. Or does it? How many teachers continue questioning their techniques and strategies? How many blame their students or their students‚ parents, or the community, or society, or the system they work in? Do they ever really reflect on themselves when their students struggle or fail? If teachers journal daily their successes and failures then they can reflect on what works and what does not! With so much paperwork and on-going demands placed upon them they can barely keep their heads above water. But patterns become apparent when one takes valuable time to keep track of what occurs in their courses and classrooms. Inquiry should be everyone's job and the students should be part of this process.

It starts by asking questions and then finding evidence that can guide educators and the school's actions. The students can make up their own questions to research and contribute immensely with new perspectives. The cycle is endless; starting with a question that is related to the school's vision. The next step involves finding data to compare, reflect upon, and analyze. By studying the data new actions evolve and the cycle begins again. This action research, with everyone as workers and learners empowers and benefits all concerned.

Leonardo da Vinci questioned the accepted beliefs of his time and never stopped questioning, inspecting, analyzing and discovering. He was way ahead of his time and filled numerous pages with ideas, theories, and inventions. He realized learning occurs because of mistakes and he never stopped exploring and experimenting. This educational cycle of learning and inquiry should never stop either. Dr. Martin Seligman and others researched and found that the critical determinant of success in business and life is resilience in the face of adversity. Our present day educational system needs change. If experience is the heart of wisdom as Leonardo believed then the cycle of inquiry and action is essential.