Rethink Your Why!

If I got a nickel for every time I heard someone ask about my "why" when attending a PD, Keynote, Webinar, or anything in education...I'd have a whole mess of nickels. If I also got a nickel for each scoff, sigh, and hard eye roll from the audience at those same spots...this would be me:

However, for the first time, I've encountered an argument for "starting with why" that doesn't make me gag! On Friday, Jeff LeBlanc (Go Penmen!) had an article on EdSurge published titled: Teaching a Generation That Questions Everything. While the article is from the perspective of a college professor navigating Gen Z students, the parallels with Gen Alpha are also undeniably strong! LeBlanc asserts that today’s students challenge traditional education norms, pushing teachers to rethink their approach. Therefore, flipping the cliché leads to more questions than answers in education today, and why that may not be problematic!.

Sinek's Golden Circle

The Power and Pitfall of Starting with Your Why

The idea behind starting with your why is simple: knowing your purpose helps you teach with clarity and passion. Simon Sinek popularized this concept, urging leaders and educators to identify their core motivation. For teachers, this often means reflecting on why they chose education and what impact they want to have on students.

LeBlanc's article reveals a twist. Today’s students don’t just accept the why handed to them. They question it, challenge it, and sometimes reject it outright. This generation grew up with access to vast information and diverse perspectives. They want to understand not just the what and how, but the deeper reasons behind every lesson.

This means teachers who start with their why must be ready to defend, adapt, or even rethink that why. The traditional "why" might not hold up under scrutiny, and that’s not a failure—it’s an opportunity.

Why Students Question Everything

Several factors explain why students today question more than previous generations:

• Access to Information

Students can instantly fact-check and explore alternative viewpoints online. This access empowers them to challenge textbook narratives or teacher explanations.

• Cultural Shifts

There is a growing emphasis on critical thinking and skepticism in society. Students are encouraged to be independent thinkers, not passive recipients of knowledge.

• Diverse Experiences

Classrooms are more diverse than ever. Students bring different backgrounds and beliefs, which shape how they interpret lessons and question assumptions.

• Social and Political Awareness

Many students are deeply aware of social justice issues and want education to reflect real-world complexities, not just sanitized versions.

Understanding these reasons helps teachers see questioning not as defiance but as engagement. It’s a sign that students care and want to connect learning to their lives.

How Teachers Can Embrace the Questioning Generation

Instead of resisting or fearing student questions, educators can use them to deepen learning. Here are practical ways to embrace this mindset:

1. Make Your Why Transparent and Open to Discussion

Share your purpose with students, but invite them to explore it with you. For example, if your why is to help students think critically, explain that and ask how they think critical thinking applies to the topic at hand.

2. Encourage Inquiry-Based Learning

Shift from lectures to projects and discussions where students investigate questions themselves. This approach respects their curiosity and builds ownership of learning.

3. Model Intellectual Humility

Admit when you don’t have all the answers. Show students that questioning is part of learning for everyone, including teachers.

4. Connect Curriculum to Real-World Issues

Relate lessons to current events or social challenges. This relevance makes the why more meaningful and invites authentic questioning.

5. Foster a Safe Environment for Debate

Create classroom norms that respect diverse opinions and encourage respectful disagreement. This helps students feel comfortable expressing doubts and exploring ideas.

Examples of Questioning in Action

Consider a history teacher who starts with the why of understanding past events to avoid repeating mistakes. A student might ask, “Whose mistakes are we focusing on? Are we hearing all perspectives?” Instead of shutting down the question, the teacher can guide a discussion on multiple viewpoints, including marginalized voices.

In a science class, a teacher’s why might be to develop problem-solving skills. When students question the relevance of a particular experiment, the teacher can connect it to real-world applications, like environmental issues or technology development.

These examples show that starting with your why is not about having a fixed answer but about opening a dialogue that respects student inquiry.

The Challenge of Maintaining Your Why

While questioning enriches education, it also challenges teachers to stay grounded. Constantly defending your why can be exhausting. Here are some tips to maintain your purpose without losing flexibility:

• Reflect Regularly

Revisit your why periodically. Has it evolved? Does it still resonate with your students’ needs?

• Collaborate with Peers

Share experiences and strategies with other educators. Collective wisdom can help refine your why.

• Balance Authority and Openness

Set clear expectations but remain open to new ideas. This balance builds trust and respect.

• Use Questions as Feedback

Student questions reveal what interests or confuses them. Use this insight to adjust your teaching.

Why Questioning Your Why Leads to Better Education

Starting with your why is a great starting point, but it should not be the final destination. When students question your why, it pushes education forward in several ways:

• Promotes Critical Thinking

Both teachers and students develop a deeper understanding by examining assumptions.

• Builds Mutual Respect

A classroom culture that values questions fosters respect and collaboration.

• Encourages Lifelong Learning

Questioning shows that learning is ongoing, not just about memorizing facts.

• Adapts to Changing Needs

Education stays relevant by evolving with student perspectives and societal shifts.

Final Thoughts

The phrase "start with your why" remains valuable, but it needs a modern twist. In today’s classrooms, starting with your why means being ready for questions that challenge your purpose. It means welcoming curiosity and using it to build stronger, more meaningful education experiences.

Teachers who embrace this dynamic can transform their classrooms into spaces where purpose and inquiry coexist. This approach not only respects the questioning nature of students but also prepares them for a world where answers are rarely simple.

If you are an educator, consider how your why stands up to questions. Invite your students to challenge it. You might find that questioning your why leads to a richer, more engaging teaching journey. This is something I've implicitly been doing for years, and LeBlanc's article offers an interesting starting point for why this type of reflectiveness and challenge can yeild positive results.