RES 5040: Teacher as Researcher (spring 09)

I am a fifth grade teacher in Haywood County at the smallest elementary school with only 250 students. This is my sixth year teaching and I love it. I am a dual track major and wish to someday move from the classroom to the library. I currently have 18 students with varying abilities levels and interests. This years fifth grade has struggled most of their school career with making gains and achieving growth. We have some high fliers but most of the students are middle to low in their ability level. They also have various other issues that have effected their education throughout the years. It is an interesting group to say the least.

However, as I was reading the Stringer text I felt their might be some hope for my students yet. Many times since entering graduate school we have heard the term action research and have even had to do different action research projects. The action research concept seems to be one that would be useful in many different settings. In the Stringer text, there are many examples of how it can be used in the classroom setting and also in the school setting with the faculty and staff. I like the idea that we are not merely looking at a problem to analyze the issue and hash out solutions but we are implementing them. You are taking basic researching a step further and making a difference. I feel this model will work great in my classroom to enhance my students understanding and ability to reason. Often times as a teacher we teach what our students need to know. We present the information and provide the students with time to soak it up and practice with it. We observe them struggle to make reason out of how we have presented the information and many times they seem to understand. When then test them to see if the knowledge of the concept has truly been learned. I feel that in this process as a teacher I have missed one key component. I feel that I have lately been concerned with the overall goal of making growth that I have failed to allow some time for reflection. I think as a teacher you must reflect on a lesson or activity to determine its effectiveness for your students. We do this often as a second nature and don't really think of the process. I would like to see if this same reflection process would help my students gain a great understand of things I am teaching them. I see my students just mainly going through the motions and not truly soaking it all in. After review of some math concepts we had learned at the beginning of the year this past week, it was clear that my previous approach is not working with this group of students. Many times we do an activity but do not take time to allow them to reflect/think about what it might mean or if they truly understand it. Or if they have an idea of a way to make it easier to understand for themselves and others. I have noticed lately that I teach a lesson to my class and do not follow it up with serious reflecting on their part. I would like to try to allow them each day a time at the end of the day to reflect on the day as a whole. I would first start this in a group setting: what they liked, dislikes, what worked, how to improve, questions. Then if I see success with this reflection time move to individual reflection about the day or a certain subject or a key concept. I am hoping that by allowing my students to reflect and take ownership of their own learning we might achieve a great understanding and love for learning. The Stringer text mentions entering a students life-world to better understand your students interpretation of knowledge and understanding so that you as a teacher can provide useful activities that will reach them. I am hoping through this reflection time I will be able to get a better sense of my students "life-world" and their way of reasoning, so that I might better enhancing their learning.

-- Erin Jaynes (Nikki)