Trevor MacKenzie is a high school teacher, Instructional Coach, speaker, and author of two books, Dive into Inquiry and Inquiry Mindset.  He teaches at Oak Bay High School in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

         

I was excited to receive a preview copy and write a review of Trevor’s new book, Inquiry Mindset. It is amazing and I highly recommend it. We had this conversation right when the book was coming out but it is still timely because of all the information Trevor shared about his journey in education and diving deep into inquiry. Below are a few excerpts from the podcast:

 

About you and your family

Yes, I’m a Canadian born and raised in British Columbia, Canada and moved to Victoria almost 20 years to the university here. That’s where I met my lovely wife, Sarah. We did some traveling and taught in different countries for a bit but we always knew Victoria was going to be our home. We have 2 sons, Ewan who is 9 going into 4th grade and Gregor, a six-year-old going into first grade now since we did the podcast.

As you know with kids, they are naturally curious and discovery-based learners. They helped me shape my understanding for the teacher I wanted to be for my kids but also my children in my 9-12 English classes at Oak Bay High School. I do a lot of traveling, a lot of consulting, visiting really neat spaces, and dealing with innovative practices where inquiry-based learning is happening.

 

What it was like for you as a learner

In school, I had a pretty up-and-down experience. I think a lot of authors and consultants have similar situations as I did; a story that they don’t want to pass on to their students or to their own children. I had a lot of mediocre learning experiences, nothing that really stood out for me as a teenager. But there were a few amazing educators and coaches that really went out of their way to create some memorable experiences for me, whether it was on a bus to a basketball tournament or a poetry unit that enlivened my passion for writing. They are a big reason why I became a teacher because they passed on their passion for teaching to me. They left an impact on me for lifelong learning and paying it forward. I try to go back and let those teachers know that they made a difference in my life. So often we don’t hear from our students the impact of our hard work, determination, and passion as teachers because they leave and it doesn’t resonate with them until much later. For anyone listening to this podcast, let those teachers know what you are doing with your life.  It is so important to say thank you to the teachers who left their mark on your life. It can be such a powerful moment.

This is the reason why inquiry is such an important part of them so they are immensely curious and connected at the moment....