Teaching as Inquiry. Why become a reflective practitioner and how???

1. The best 5 ideas on
HOW to improve your own
professional practice
as a teacher and/or as a leader
of learning within your school.
Presenter: Tanya Thompson
Acting Principal, St Andrews Middle School

2. We are all learners:
changing a school
culture

3. Tip 1: Be Ready and Able
• be prepared to inquire into your own
practice
– as a teacher
– as a leader
of learning

4. Discussion Point
• What mental model is needed to inquire
into our own practice?
• How can we position ourselves to become
ready and able??
• How can we position others around us??

5. Tip 2: Know - How
When inquiring/researching into your
practice you need a systematic way so
that you can gain evidence
– to support your change in practice
OR
– affirm existing practices

7. Action research is
the study of a
social situation
with a view to
improving the
quality of action
within it.
Cardno and Piggot-Irvine, 1991

8. Action Research Process

9. 1. Collect data and analyse it
- student achievement
- student learning
- student voice
- teacher practice data
- leadership practice data

10. Be selective with data collection
– stay focussed

11. 2. Look at what research has to say
• Professional
readings
• Collegial
discussions
• Visit other
classrooms/
schools

12. 3. Make a Plan and reflect on it
Set a simple action plan which targets your
areas of
– Concerns…
– wonderings ….
– low or poor performance….. etc

13. How do I know????
• Reflect and evaluate as you go
– Can I collect evidence of learning?
– Is it impacting on student learning?
How do I know?
– Is it impacting on my staff?
School culture? How do I know?
• Where is my evidence????

14. 4. Collect comparative data
and analyse it
- student achievement
- student learning
- student voice
- teacher practice data
- leadership practice data
Am I making a difference?
Are my new or enhanced practices
more effective?
How do I know? Where is my evidence?

15. 5. Share it and celebrate
• We are all learners and we can teach
each other so much
• Share your findings
– Other colleagues
– Students
– Parents
– The wider community

16. Teachers/Leaders
need to see the
necessity for
change for
themselves
Teachers/Leaders need to
see hard evidence
Teachers/Leaders need to
be supported when
modifying their practice.

17. No matter where you
start…
each component
spirals into the others

18. Discussion Point
• General Q and A re: process
• Examples available
Contact details:
Tanya Thompson
tanyat@sams.school.nz

19. Tip 3: Structures which support
teacher/leader inquiry

20. Clear School-wide Expectations
•Trust established within the school culture
• A professional culture of learning and
teaching
•Inquiring about practice is the ‘norm’
•Data analysis
•Evidence based planning and assessment
•All learning should be transparent

22. Staff Meetings
Learning vs Organisation
Staff meetings are specifically set aside
for goal setting/assessment, discussion
of professional readings and sharing
and celebration of teachers/leaders
practice.

23. In-Class, On-the-Job, Hands-on
Professional Support
•Modelling of best practice
•Release time
•Both in-house and consultant knowledge
base of best practice
•Individual/group support with practices

24. Appraisal Process
•set goals in relation to their practice in
appraisal documentation
•collect baseline/comparative data
•keep a reflective journal
•share and celebrate changes in practice

25. reflection within our practice
leads to higher confidence
and a positive culture of change

26. Discussion Point
• What structures does your place of
learning currently have which support
inquiry in our own practice??
• What structures do you need to put in
place to ensure success??

27. Tip 4: Look for Evidence
• Seek out evidence of
learning/effectiveness
of practices
• Did I achieve what I
set out to do? Do I
now have more
questions?

28. Did I raise student achievement?

29. Reaction to
Student/Staff
voice
• How do you collect student/staff voice?
• What do you do with it?
• How does it impact on
your teaching and learning?
Your leading?

30. Discussion Point
• What evidence do you look for to know
you are making a difference? Raising
student achievement?
• Do you have hard evidence to support
these?? How could you from now on??

31. Tip 5: ACTION IT
• Action your new
practices
• Implement changes
• Look at measures to
sustain the change

32. Be the change factor
– make the difference