Tuesday 17 June 2014

Making and Creating and Continuing to Create More Inquiries...

An inquiry is defined in teaching as:
For me, an inquiry means that I am learning about something in particular that I want to change about my practice, something I want to learn how to do better, or maybe something I want to find out - perhaps about how I use data and evidence to understand my students better.
Over the past three or so years... really since I began life to be honest.. I've been inquiring about a lot of things.
- How to maintain 'control' through classroom 'management'  by maintaining professional boundaries as well as maintaining professional relationships?
- How to develop those professional relationships while staying safe professionally?
- How to avoid pitfalls in my teaching career?
- How to navigate workplace bullying and micro-managing?
- How to develop stronger professional relationships to create a more relaxed environment as part of my classroom management strategies?
- How to continue being a positive person/teacher/educator despite the deficit theorisers in my midst?
- How to continue professionally developing myself as a teacher without causing too much stress or difference of opinions by others?
- How to enforce consequences within punitive styles of behaviour management?
- How to use positive behaviour for learning strategies in my classroom to emphasise the kinds of attitudes I want to see from my students?
- How to successfully create a positive environment where students tell each other off for having fixed-mindsets and for using negative behaviours and attitudes?
- How to successfully encourage and inspire students to read more - for intrinsic reward rather than extrinsic?
- How to improve students' learning by making them feel confident about their progress despite the rising levels of where they're meant to be 'AT'?
- How to create meaningful discussions?
- How to help my quieter students talk more in class?
- How to engage the unruliest of students?
- How to teach students I just do NOT get along with despite all of my own behaviour management strategies and my own relaxing techniques?
- How to maintain professionalism without losing respect for other educators for their actions rather than what they say?
- How to continue being myself and avoid becoming 'jaded'?
The reality is that reflecting is different for everyone and everyone's reflections are as valuable as the next person's. They're valuable because they're personal and most of all... they're valuable because they're reflective. We can learn from them as a result.
I had a heap more here.. but blogger on my phone putted out from the flight to getting back onto the tarmac. So oh well.
That will do. Just get out there and do it. Question yourself and your teaching style and how you interact with your students. Figure out whether what you are doing is working and if it is... great! If not.. what else can you do?

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