Creative Teaching Through Inquiry-Based Learning: Throwback Summer 2025

As part of our Fueling Creativity in Education Throwback Series, co-hosts Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Dr. Matthew Worwood selected this episode to help educators reignite their passion for creative teaching as they prepare for the new school year. In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Frank LaBanca—educator, researcher, and founding principal of Westside Middle School Academy Magnet—shares his powerful approach to inquiry-based learning. As one of the few principals in the country who still teaches in the classroom, Frank offers a unique lens on how to cultivate creativity and problem-solving through student-driven exploration. Discover how teaching students to ask better questions can transform learning, why project-based learning empowers both teachers and students, and how real-world feedback—not just teacher evaluation—deepens creative growth. From developing faculty to embracing uncertainty, Frank’s insights offer practical and philosophical guidance for educators committed to teaching creativity in meaningful, lasting ways.