Do Schools Kill Curiosity? With Guest Braydon Giles

In this episode of Middle School Walk & Talk, hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire chat with Braydon Giles, Head of Middle School at St. John’s Anglican College in Brisbane, Australia, and Vice Chair of Adolescent Success, AMLE’s Australian affiliate. Giles shares insights from a multi-year research partnership exploring one provocative question: Do schools kill curiosity? He also provides insight into how his team has empowered students as co-researchers to redesign classroom spaces that spark engagement, belonging, and wonder. From defining curiosity in the middle years to transforming learning environments, this conversation offers practical inspiration for educators seeking to rekindle curiosity in their own classrooms.

Middle School Walk & Talk is a production of the Association for Middle Level Education. Learn more at amle.org.