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being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.' He has found that when we experience awe, there are a host of benefits to the body. There is a reduction in activity in the brain's default mode network (leading to a decrease in self-focus), and an attendant increase in pro-social behavior. There is an increase in connectivity between brain regions, and a sense of curiosity and perceptual openness. The heart rate slows, and time seems to dilate, absorbing the awe-struck person in the moment. Research tells us that there are eight universal triggers for awe: moral beauty, collective effervescence, nature, music, visual design, spirituality and religion, life and death, and epiphany. Clearly there will be some cultural specificity in how these look, but they exist universally as triggers. The point... If an instrumental mindset towards teaching narrows and hardens our vision, awe is what widens and softens it again. Awe is what happens when we encounter something that resists our control; when we stand before an idea, a landscape, or a person and feel both smaller and more alive. In education, awe reminds us that learning isn’t just about acquiring knowledge but about being changed by it. It’s the moment a student realises that Shakespeare understood something about grief they’d never been able to name, or that a mathematical pattern mirrors something profound about the structure of the universe. Awe restores a sense of proportion, reminding us that the point of learning is not just mastery, but participation in something larger than ourselves. Teachers can’t manufacture awe, but we can create the conditions in which it becomes more likely. That might mean slowing down, giving pupils time to dwell with a question rather than racing to an answer. It might mean focusing on wonder rather than outcomes; asking what does this reveal? Instead of what do they need to know for the test? It might mean bringing the world into the classroom in all its richness; music, poetry, silence, stories, experiments, and helping children attend to what’s in front of them with patience and curiosity. Awe flourishes when teachers model it themselves; when they speak with genuine enthusiasm, or admit that something still puzzles them. We can't readily measure the impact of awe on our classrooms, but it is one of the most profound and formative gifts of education. Teaching only loses its vitality and wonder when it fails to create space for it. TP Kenny Primrose is an education consultant and writer, with over 15 years’ experience in teaching and leadership. He is also host of The Examined Life podcast. kennethprimrose.co.uk examined-life.com Begin topics with a ‘big wonder’ moment. One way of doing this is by zooming in and out. Take, for example, the intricacy of an oak leaf. Zoom in and focus on its incredible fractal patterns, then think about the fact that a tree produces 250,000 of these leaves a day. Zoom out again and think of forests containing countless wonders like this. Reveal the hidden in the ordinary, showing students the unseen complexity of everyday things, especially in nature. Beauty is an awe trigger; bring it into your lessons. Storytelling adds emotional depth, connecting children to human experiences of discovery, creativity, and resilience across time and disciplines. Why not tie in a related fictional story, or engaging non-fiction book on the topic of your discussion? Use moments of silence and reflection to allow pupils to internalise their sense of wonder. This can be done through journaling, sketching, or quiet thought after a powerful idea or discussion. AWE - I NSP I R I NG ACT I V I T I ES 30 | www.teachwire.net