(That being said, it is also a goal of mine to blog... actually, write posts! Sigh. I started this blog back in January to document the second half of my first year in the Library Learning Commons but life got away from me and here we are in the summer.)
Chapter 1- The Inquiry Teacher
Thank you to @MsDevooghtMusic for your amazing blog post on this chapter and sharing your thoughts. It has really inspired me to think deeply about my own role as an inquiry teacher.
As a teacher-librarian I think I am perfectly situated to model the characteristics of an inquiry teacher and to open up my practice to my fellow educators who are on their own inquiry journey. Some of my reflections will be based on my year in the Library Learning Commons (LLC) and some will be on how my years in the classroom prepared me to move forward on my inquiry journey.
Inquiry Teachers Are Playful
I'd say that this is me as a teacher for sure! I've so problem following a tangent of student questioning, dropping everything I planned to tried something new, bringing an idea I read about the night before into my teaching the very next day. I like to learn new things and try new things with my students. I encourage my students and the teachers in the LLC to open themselves up to risk and see where it gets us.
This year I have jumped into playing with loose parts and integrating a maker culture within the LLC as a way to get both students and educators to see the more playful side of learning. I think sometimes learning after kindergarten is seen as "serious buisness" and that makes me sad. Watching the students interact and play in the LLC has been a wonderful priviledge this year.
Inquiry Teachers Teach Slowly & Inquiry Teachers Know the Curriculum
I put these two together for a reason. Before moving to the LLC I'd been teaching Grade 3 for a number of years, at two different schools, with a variety of excellent educators. I know the Grade 3 curriculum inside and out. This afforded me the opportunity to fully integrate my Science and Social Studies programs from a total of 7 strands into 3 cross-curricular inquiry units. It allowed me to go deeply into learning about spiralling the math curriculum with my team, instructional coach and Ministry Student Achievement Officer.
However, if I had been new to Grade 3 this would have proved more difficult. I believe teachers need time to stay in one grade (or subject area) and move through the inquiry pool themselves. If teachers are constantly being moved around the grades they may not be building that deep knowledge of the curriculum that will allow them to see the connections and create deep inquiry opportunities for their students.
Inquiry Teachers Know Their Students
This is a tricky one in the LLC. There are approximately 950 students in my school, and 300+ are Kindergarten children! I've gotten to know many students by face (not necessarily by name) and can usually identify which class they are from. A goal moving forward is to do better. I want to know more students on an individual basis.
Inquiry Teachers Reflect and Revise As They Go
Yes!! YES! Yes!! I swear, my head just never turns off. My friend once asked me how I can get so many things done in a day and the truth is that I think about things for a long time. I turn them over in my head, from every angle, and re-look, re-think, reflect.... then when it's actually time to write, create, organize, etc I can speed through because I've probably re-worked it a million times in my head already. This is probably an area I need to balance more... I need to figure out a way to turn off my mind so I can sleep!
Inquiry Teachers Go Outside to Come Back Inside & Are Curious
I think these two go hand in hand. I love seeing how other educators frame their teaching, organize their space, share about the books they are reading, ask for guidance. Twitter has been a driving force in helping me connect beyond my own space and to feed the flame of curiosity.
Who makes up my PLN? So many great educators!
Jenn Brown @JennMacBrown
Tina Zita @tina_zita
Surya Naidu @snaidu_gr3
Amit Mehrotra @AmitMehrotra78
Colleen Hartman @MmeHartman
Deb Cote @DebbieCote1
James Steeves @jsteeves71
Toni Duval @toni_a_duval
Erica Armstrong @ms_e_a
Veerpal Bajwa @VeerpalTS
Suzanne Stanley @BlakePlugItIn
Denise Gilliland @Denjg
Jen Sutowski @HerbLibrary
Melanie Mulcaster @the_mulc
Steve Urion @steve_urion
Kate Sharp @MrsKathrynSharp
Tim Boudreau @timboo_drow
Michelle DeLuca @Ms_DeLuca
Stella Balatidis @Balatidis_Tech
Donald Campbell @Libramlad
Just to name a few....
Inquiry Teachers are Passionate
I have said many times that being a teacher is who I am and not just what I do. It's something I crave, I love being with my students and learning alongside of them.
Once again, thank you to @MsDevooghtMusic for inspiring me to frame a blog post in this way. It really got me to think about myself as an inquiry teacher.
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