Inquiry-based instruction is widely promoted to increase both students’ conceptual understanding and their engagement in course content. What this means for day-to-day practices in the classroom is more elusive. Instructors adopting inquiry-based curricula often are unaware of the typical instructional challenges they may face. In particular, instructors new to inquiry-based instruction can anticipate changes to teacher and student roles, a shift that may be supported with instructor training and awareness of common student reactions. This article describes the authors’ experience of developing and implementing an inquiry-based biology laboratory curriculum and offers suggestions to help others successfully implement their own inquiry-based courses.