Inside Springwell Learning: From Parrots to Camp
Written by Upper Elementary Teacher Ileana Knollenberg
Inquiry learning is not simply about asking questions. At its best, it helps children learn how to think together — until curiosity and collaboration begin to run on their own.
Last week, something quietly remarkable unfolded in the classroom: the kind of moment that helps explain what inquiry learning looks like when it is working, and the type of organic development that makes us feel like we are in the right profession.
It began, as many meaningful investigations do, with something small. A student had recently become interested in parrots while we were studying how animals adapt to different climates. Two parrot stuffies were brought in, and what started as imaginative play quickly evolved into a shared story: the birds were traveling to the Bahamas.
Within minutes, the narrative expanded. Blankets became terrain. Pillows became shelters. A group of students began constructing a “camp” for the traveling birds. Without any adult assigning roles, the children naturally stepped into them.
One student focused on the physical structure:
“Set everything up… we need pillows here.”
Another extended the imaginative world, turning the space into part of the birds’ journey, while others added ideas and questions that helped the story grow. One student moved fluidly between the imaginative and the practical, helping the group organize materials and make decisions as the structure became more complex.
As the camp grew larger, a practical problem emerged: it was getting warm under the blankets near the radiator. Instead of calling for help, the students diagnosed the issue themselves:
“We’re trapping all the heat.”
“We need ventilation openings.”
They adjusted the structure and continued working.
A few minutes later, another important moment unfolded — quieter, but just as meaningful. One student began to look uncomfortable inside the enclosed space. Before any adult intervened, another noticed and gently stepped in, helping the group pause and adjust what they were doing: “You look uncomfortable. We’re going to fix this problem because we want everyone to be comfortable.” The conversation shifted naturally toward cooling down, getting water, and making sure everyone felt okay.
It was a small exchange, but an important one: students were not only managing a project together, they were also caring for one another within it.
Meanwhile, across the room, a conversation about the Wings of Fire series unfolded. Rather than summarizing the story, a student wanted to think through the ideas of fate, luck, and free will:
“Why does every major character in this story have the worst luck?”
“Did she ever realize what she’d done?”
“How come this dragon continued to seek revenge when she knew the consequences would be dire?”
The discussion moved into questions historians and philosophers ask — how conflicts begin, how decisions shape communities, and how individuals understand the consequences of their actions.
What stood out most was not any single activity, but what was happening structurally: learning and thinking gained momentum in the absence of explicit adult direction.
When Learning Becomes Peer-Regulated
Educational researchers describe moments like this using the term peer-regulated cognition.
Early in learning, adults provide most of the structure — organizing activities, guiding discussion, and solving problems. Over time, students begin to internalize those habits. Eventually, responsibility shifts outward into the group itself. Students start to:
organize materials and shared space,
notice and respond to one another’s needs,
ask questions that deepen thinking,
solve problems collaboratively,
and keep shared work moving forward.
In these moments, learning no longer depends on constant adult guidance. The classroom culture carries it.
What we observed this week was exactly that transition. The children were not waiting to be told what to do next; they were collectively deciding what mattered and how to proceed.
An Evolutionary Perspective: Why This Kind of Learning Feels Natural
Scenes like this closely resemble how children have learned for most of human history.
Anthropologists studying hunter-gatherer societies consistently observe that children spend large portions of their day in mixed-age groups engaged in collaborative play. In these environments, children build shelters, invent stories, imitate adult activities, negotiate rules, and solve real problems together — usually with adults nearby but not directing every step.
Through play, children practice the very skills needed for survival in cooperative societies:
coordinating group efforts,
reading social cues,
sharing leadership,
resolving disagreements,
and learning from slightly more experienced peers.
Rather than separating play from learning, these cultures rely on play as the primary engine of learning. Knowledge, social responsibility, and independence emerge together.
Modern classrooms rarely resemble this environment. Yet moments like the camp-building activity show how naturally children return to these patterns when given space, trust, and meaningful materials. The students were not “off task.” They were rehearsing deeply human ways of learning — building a shared world, caring for one another within it, and making sense of problems collectively.
The Bigger Picture
Experiences like these build capacities that are difficult to teach directly:
Intellectual independence.
Students learn that ideas belong to them — not only to adults or textbooks.
Collaboration and leadership.
Leadership emerges through contribution: organizing materials, extending ideas, and supporting peers.
Empathy and social awareness.
Students learn to read social cues and respond thoughtfully — an essential part of working within a community.
Reasoning and communication.
Whether designing a shelter or analyzing a story, students practice explaining their thinking and listening to others.
The room may have sounded giggly and playful, but beneath that energy was sustained attention, negotiation, and care.
Inquiry learning is not simply about asking questions. At its best, it helps children learn how to think together — until curiosity and collaboration begin to run on their own.
