In examples such as these, we can show why student agency matters! Our kids are able to grow when they feel they have a voice, a choice, and ownership over their learning journey. When children are given a safe space where their ideas are heard and valued, then they are able to show up with more curiosity, more focus, and most importantly, more confidence. Giving kids the control over how they explore their curiosity isn't about letting go of structure or cirriculum—it’s about shifting the focus from compliance to creativity (Mitra, 2014). 

This is why we can see that in joyful, hands-on environments, kids are sparked with curiosity, focus, and meaningful engagement. Young minds naturally process the world through touch, movement, and play (Montessori, 1967). When I introduce a project like planting pumpkin seeds to understand life cycles, I swear I can see every part of their brains light up. It’s not just fun for them, it’s a chance to connect what they are learning to their real life experiences and that can create real change (Willems, 2012).

Even at the Pre-K level, kids are empathizing and beginning to problem solve creatively. Therefore, as teachers, we must create an environment that invites the children to iterate, empathize, and find their own solutions while not being afraid to make mistakes. (IDEO, 2015). When integrating this into your classrooms, mistakes become part of the journey of learning—not something that feels like a setback, but rather something to explore with excitement for what might happen next. (Resnick, 2017).

This allows us to shift our roles at Teachers – we now become facilitators—scaffolding thinking to create confidence rather than instilling compliance. I've learned to take a back set and move forward with more engaging questions. "What did you notice that happened there?” “ What do you think we could try next?" You will see students take ownership in ways they wouldn’t have been able to if we had provided a single solution path. In my classroom, I remind myself daily that my job is to create the space, provide the tools, and trust their process. Sometimes that can look messy. But within that mess is where we find the magic (Wolk, 2008). 

So, we have to ask ourselves… What is the worst that can happen if we simply let kids lead their exploration? Well, what I have found happens is… they surprise you! They teach each other. They teach you. We grow as individuals through a community-based experience. Project-based learning, task-based exploration, and design thinking shouldn't be seen as just frameworks or checklists items for curriculums—it’s an invitation for our students to find their own way. When we give our students real-world challenges, real choices that hold weight, and real roles that add value, we don’t just tell them to learn. We invite them to think. And once a student falls in love with that feeling, learning becomes something beautiful.