(3) Explain why you judge this to be the most important and catalytic issue of learning for this group of learners this year (In chemistry, a catalytic substance one which increases the speed of a chemical reaction).
To help me understand how I got to my inquiry challenge, I've had peel away layers and layers of what I'm going to call technical 'bull crap' and get to the crux of what has been annoying me (if you want to call it a flash word, I'd say I have been metacognitive - thinking about my thinking). It just dawned on me as I've scribbled down countless brainstorms, read numerous academic research and rummaged through top teachers' blogposts - I have to make the main thing, the main thing. What is happening and not happening, in my classroom for my learners and what have I done to contribute to it?
I could go on all day about all of the great student learnings that I believe is happening in my classroom, and show you all of the great kids work. I could also pinpoint one or two things that I think I have done to get those kids to produce great work. Hell, I even got my kids to stand up and introduce themselves to our new student teacher and share with her what their favourite subject was at school because I was so confident that my kids were succeeding in my class because social studies was their favourite and I was their favourite teacher!!...
(And the buzzer goes off)...ehhh, wrong.
In reality, most of the class said social studies was one of about three other subjects they liked and then they proceeded to muck around and distract themselves and each other for the rest of the period and there was very little real work done and I ended up keeping half the class in for doing nothing.
What I was essentially doing and have been doing for a long time, was cover up my inequities by pretending that everything was beautiful when in reality, my inquiries focussed on sharing successes about students who were achieving well because of what I thought were my actions as their teacher, when I should have been looking equally as much at students who were not achieving well because of my actions as their teacher.
But there is hope... because we all want what is best for our learners and damned if I'm gonna give up trying to figure out what works and what doesn't work! This is not just a job, it is a vocation (cue the violins... ah to be honest, I do actually believe this). All jokes aside, I have come to realise that what starts with me, ends with me and that these are kids who are in my care and they deserve to have the best educational experience ever.
Working backwards to figure out my inquiry
At school we always talk about the Ideal student. What does the ideal Tamaki graduate look like when they leave school? What is it that I want my kids to have achieved when they leave Tamaki College? Is it success based on outcomes eg. NCEA or producing people who are informed, confident members of society? Or is it both?
Graduating seems so far away for our students...which is why I want to start with the year 9's! Plant the seeds now, then watch it grow, blossom and bloom (with lots of water, sun and all the other stuff that plants need to grow!). In my next post, I will be summarise the challenge of student learning that I plan to focus on in this inquiry.
To help me understand how I got to my inquiry challenge, I've had peel away layers and layers of what I'm going to call technical 'bull crap' and get to the crux of what has been annoying me (if you want to call it a flash word, I'd say I have been metacognitive - thinking about my thinking). It just dawned on me as I've scribbled down countless brainstorms, read numerous academic research and rummaged through top teachers' blogposts - I have to make the main thing, the main thing. What is happening and not happening, in my classroom for my learners and what have I done to contribute to it?
I could go on all day about all of the great student learnings that I believe is happening in my classroom, and show you all of the great kids work. I could also pinpoint one or two things that I think I have done to get those kids to produce great work. Hell, I even got my kids to stand up and introduce themselves to our new student teacher and share with her what their favourite subject was at school because I was so confident that my kids were succeeding in my class because social studies was their favourite and I was their favourite teacher!!...
(And the buzzer goes off)...ehhh, wrong.
In reality, most of the class said social studies was one of about three other subjects they liked and then they proceeded to muck around and distract themselves and each other for the rest of the period and there was very little real work done and I ended up keeping half the class in for doing nothing.
What I was essentially doing and have been doing for a long time, was cover up my inequities by pretending that everything was beautiful when in reality, my inquiries focussed on sharing successes about students who were achieving well because of what I thought were my actions as their teacher, when I should have been looking equally as much at students who were not achieving well because of my actions as their teacher.
But there is hope... because we all want what is best for our learners and damned if I'm gonna give up trying to figure out what works and what doesn't work! This is not just a job, it is a vocation (cue the violins... ah to be honest, I do actually believe this). All jokes aside, I have come to realise that what starts with me, ends with me and that these are kids who are in my care and they deserve to have the best educational experience ever.
Working backwards to figure out my inquiry
At school we always talk about the Ideal student. What does the ideal Tamaki graduate look like when they leave school? What is it that I want my kids to have achieved when they leave Tamaki College? Is it success based on outcomes eg. NCEA or producing people who are informed, confident members of society? Or is it both?
Graduating seems so far away for our students...which is why I want to start with the year 9's! Plant the seeds now, then watch it grow, blossom and bloom (with lots of water, sun and all the other stuff that plants need to grow!). In my next post, I will be summarise the challenge of student learning that I plan to focus on in this inquiry.
This is hands-down my favourite blog post of the year. I wish I could include the 'preach, sister' hands emoji in my comment. It's so brave to look at the successes and the less-than-successes. I'm looking forward to reading more about your inquiry.
ReplyDelete