Apprenticing with Alice: Lessons for Language Teachers from Wonderland
By: Nicky De Proost & Heather Kretschmer
Teaching often feels like following a familiar trail of lesson plans, familiar routines, and predictable outcomes. It’s a comforting rhythm, as steady as the ticking of a pocket watch. Yet, just when you think you know the way, the classroom transforms into a Wonderland—a realm of surprises, twists, and moments that challenge everything you thought you knew.
We’ve all had those days. A student raises a hand, and their question sends you tumbling down a rabbit hole, turning the lesson upside-down. Or an activity you expect will lead students down a well-trodden path instead catapults them to a place where familiar trails vanish into a sparkling meadow of singing flowers. Suddenly, you’re faced with the unexpected, navigating uncharted territory where students’ creativity and curiosity take centre stage.
These moments of surprise aren’t just disruptions; they’re invitations. They lure us out of the predictable and into the extraordinary, challenging us and our students to adapt, question, and grow. So when the little White Rabbit hops onto your classroom floor…
Like Alice, we emerge from these classroom surprises changed—more curious, more creative, and more in tune with our students’ potential. Surprise invites us to rethink what we know and embrace the extraordinary, transforming both teaching and learning into a Wonderland of possibility.
But Wonderland is rarely straightforward. It’s a place where expectations are upended, and reality takes a sharp turn into the nonsensical. Alice’s attempts to converse appropriately with its peculiar inhabitants often end in frustration, as logic seems to bend and twist in every interaction. Time and again, the other characters confound Alice’s expectations, baffling and irritating her. So, what makes the unexpected so jarring—and so transformative?
Our brain relies heavily on our previous experiences. The brain uses priors–distillations of previous experiences–to make continuous, unconscious predictions. As a result, we don’t pay attention to every little thing in our environment. It’s only when something doesn’t happen as we expect–something surprising–that we start paying attention. Our brain is alerted and allocates cognitive resources to process the unexpected (see our Think Tank on predictive processing).
What does our brain do with surprise? The brain has two options.
- Option 1: Discard the surprise.
- Option 2: Use the new, surprising input to modify its priors.
When the brain takes the second route–modifying its priors–, it learns (Stephen M. Ryan, iTDi Course video: 12:20–16:06). Surprise, it turns out, is not merely a disruption but a catalyst for discovery. For teachers, this makes surprise not a distraction but an ally—a mischievous Cheshire Cat guiding us toward new ways of engaging our students. We can use surprise to grab our students’ attention, pique their curiosity, expand their imagination, and push them to think differently. But how can we ensure our students don’t experience a bewildering classroom Wonderland?
As Alice discovers, too much of a good thing can be overwhelming. Surprise, like the pepper in the Duchess’s kitchen, must be used with care. Too much, and the dish becomes unpalatable; too little, and it lacks flavour. The key is balance—a sprinkle of the unexpected to spice up routine and awaken curiosity without overwhelming the senses.
And just as Alice often finds herself lost yet intrigued, we, too, should approach surprises with curiosity. What may seem like chaos at first can lead to some of the most rewarding discoveries. So, dear reader, we invite you to follow the White Rabbit along with us, and prepare to be delighted, inspired, and perhaps a little surprised yourself…
Nicky De Proost is a teacher with a love for stories and a penchant for the surprising, always seeking to inspire curiosity in her classroom.
Heather Kretschmer is a teacher who, despite always having a plan, finds joy in the unexpected moments in class.