Embracing Curiosity and Joy at The Lang School

At The Lang School, learning is more than academics—it’s an experience rooted in wonder, resilience, and belonging. As a school designed for twice-exceptional (2e) learners, we know that the most powerful growth happens when students feel both challenged and supported. That’s why this year, our guiding theme is curiosity and joy—two values that shape not only how our students learn, but also how our teachers teach and our community thrives.

The Power of Curiosity

Curiosity is the spark that makes learning meaningful. For our students, it often shows up in unexpected ways—like connecting a love of art to a history project, exploring the math behind music, or coding a video game to tell a personal story. At Lang, we nurture these sparks through project-based learning, where big, open-ended questions invite students to dig deeper and follow their passions. Curiosity also gives our students courage. It tells them it’s okay to try something new, to take a risk, and to see mistakes not as setbacks but as part of the journey. 

We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.-Walt Disney

The Role of Joy

For our community, joy isn’t just about having fun—it’s about feeling safe, connected, and valued. It’s in the pride a student feels when presenting a portfolio of work, in classmates cheering for one another, and in the everyday moments when teachers celebrate effort as much as achievement.

Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.-Henri Nouwen

Joy also sustains the hard work of learning. Our students may face challenges with attention, anxiety, or perfectionism, but joy creates resilience. It helps them remember that even difficult moments can be filled with meaning, growth, and connection. At Lang, that choice is built into the fabric of how we teach, learn, and care for one another.

Curiosity and Joy in Action

This vision isn’t abstract—it’s lived every day in our classrooms and hallways. Project-based learning gives students opportunities to tackle real-world problems and showcase their growth through public exhibitions. Portfolios capture each child’s learning journey, highlighting strengths, reflection, and personal voice. Our social-emotional learning structures—from Social Thinking in the lower school to advisory and WIN periods in the upper school—ensure that relationships, resilience, and regulation are always prioritized alongside academics.

Even our staff development reflects this commitment. Teachers are encouraged to experiment, take risks, and support each other through feedback and collaboration. Just as we ask students to approach learning with curiosity and joy, our faculty model these qualities in their own practice.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the year, we are asking ourselves important questions: What does it look like when adults at Lang maintain a curious state of mind? What does it feel like when our community is filled with joy, even in hard moments? These reflections ensure that curiosity and joy are not just ideals but everyday practices. At The Lang School, curiosity leads to discovery. Joy makes the journey sustainable. And together, they create a community where twice-exceptional learners don’t just succeed—they flourish.