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Build a Culture of Questioning to Transform Learning
Monday, April 13, 2026 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT
Presented by Erin Mohr, Assistant Director of Elementary Education, Hamilton Southeastern Schools (IN); and April Smith, Lead Gifted and Talented Teacher for Elementary Schools, Orangeburg County School District (SC)
Moderated by Teri Laliberte, Assistant Director of Professional Learning, Great Books Foundation
Sponsored by The Great Books Foundation
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
What if the goal of your classroom instruction was to nurture a culture of questioning? Stepping away from the teacher-as-a-source-of-answers role gave our two presenters the opportunity to impact not only their students but also their collaboration with colleagues. Transform your classroom into an inquiry-rich environment where students and teachers engage in questioning to dig deeper, delve into texts, develop critical-thinking skills, and improve reading comprehension.
This edWebinar explores how structured, text-based discussion approaches can shift classroom dynamics, empowering both students and teachers to engage in meaningful dialogue, consider diverse perspectives, and explore complex ideas together. Rather than positioning the teacher as the sole source of knowledge, viewers examine strategies that support collaborative, student-centered learning.
Hear how two experienced educators have incorporated questioning and discussion-based practices into their instruction, and consider how these approaches can be adapted to support your own classroom goals.
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to elementary and middle school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, librarians, curriculum coordinators, and literacy coaches.
About the Presenters
Erin Mohr is the Assistant Director of Elementary Education for Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Fishers, Indiana, bringing over two decades of experience in teaching, instructional coaching, professional development, and educational leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University and a master’s degree in educational psychology with a concentration in gifted and talented studies from Ball State University.
Committed to academic excellence for all students, Erin partners closely with principals and teachers to strengthen instructional practices and improve student outcomes. She has successfully led the implementation of Junior Great Books in 17 schools across Fishers and is especially passionate about teaming up with teachers to leverage the power of student thinking, deep questions, and evidence-based discussion. Erin and her husband, Hank, have three daughters, ages 17, 14, and 12, and two golden retrievers. She enjoys attending her daughters’ volleyball games, reading, cooking, the beach, playing golf, and being around kids!
April Smith is the Lead Gifted and Talented Teacher for Elementary Schools in Orangeburg County School District. She has 26 years of teaching experience, including 25 years working with gifted and talented students. April is a strong advocate for gifted learners, particularly when it comes to ensuring they receive a challenging, meaningful curriculum that promotes critical thinking and creativity. She especially enjoys teaching the Junior Great Books curriculum and believes strongly in its value for fostering deep thinking and thoughtful discussion among students.
April also serves as a sponsor for Edisto Elementary School’s National Beta Club and is a long-time member of Alpha Delta Kappa, whose mission is to empower women educators to advance educational excellence, altruism, and world understanding. She has been married for 29 years and is the proud mother of a 10-year-old gifted and talented son who plays baseball for the Orangeburg Riverhawks. April enjoys supporting the Clemson Tigers, visiting Walt Disney World Resort, and spending time at the beach with her family.
About the Moderator
Teri Laliberte, Assistant Director of Professional Learning, started with the Great Books Foundation 20 years ago upon returning to the United States after teaching English, developing teacher education programs, and promoting critical-thinking skills in Turkey and Poland. She left the Foundation for a few years to work in higher education and professional associations focused on adult learning. Since returning to the Foundation, she has enjoyed helping teachers and districts implement Shared Inquiry across the curriculum.
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Join the Inspire Learning & Engagement community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
The Great Books Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization best known for having created Junior Great Books® programs that use the Shared Inquiry™ method of teaching and learning. Junior Great Books programs comprise carefully curated anthologies of outstanding fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama that help boost students’ critical thinking, fluency, vocabulary, and listening and speaking skills. Junior Great Books literature is unmatched for sparking student engagement and enabling students to discover a love for reading. Our professional learning courses help educators learn, practice, and continuously improve their use of Shared Inquiry. This unique method provides teachers with a framework focused on a collaborative process of thinking and reading in which teachers and students work together to understand a text. Teachers use this inquiry-based approach across the curriculum, opening classrooms to new ideas and more engaged students.
