Research lends support to inquiry-based curriculum demonstrating how social interaction, such as discussion and presentation, positively affects children's learning. As a result, teachers spend an inordinate amount of time and effort in planning investigations to develop skills in inquiry. However, many of them overlook the necessary foundation for an inquiry-based curriculum: the socio-moral atmosphere that supports a community of autonomous learners. In essence, they put the cart before the horse. In a heteronomous classroom setting, the teacher-student relationship is built on one-way respect--from students to the teacher. The teacher is the one who makes all the decisions and feels that is it is his/her responsibility to manage every detail of the children's behavior. By contrast, in an autonomous classroom setting, the teacher-student relationship is built on mutual or two-way respect between the teacher and students. The teacher considers the children's points of view, encourages them to consider each other's point of view, involves students in decision-making, and holds students accountable for their decisions. This difference in the socio-moral atmosphere of the learning community not only builds a trusting teacher-student relationship, but also affects the student-student relationships. When students are immersed in a heteronomous atmosphere, they do not cooperate with one another because they only pay attention to the teacher's direction. By contrast, when students are immersed in an autonomous atmosphere, they learn to cooperate with one another because they have to negotiate among themselves to come to consensus and figure out a solution that is fair for everyone. The community with the autonomous atmosphere provides the "foundation for creating the kind of safe and secure environment in which children can relax and pursue their intellectual and social interests" (DeVries et al., 2002, pp. 38-39). To transform the classroom atmosphere from heteronomy to autonomy, the authors offer several recommendations.