7/30/2019 Teachers as Learners

1/2

The data or the student work is

actually more than just the finished

product, [its] the process, the behav-

iours, the conversations and the non-

verbal and verbal communication.

We have learned that perhaps the

highest impact we can have on our stu-

dents is taking the time to talk with

them and connect with them.

Teachersas

Learners

Connectingw

ith

Student

W

or

k

P

ro

fe

s

s

io

n

a

l

S

tu

d

ie

s

fo

r

T

e

a

c

h

e

rs

T e a c h e r s

l e a r n i n g

t o g e t h e r . . .

P r o f e s s i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t

ACTIONS ARE INFORMED BY REFLECTION.

Actions taken as a result of ongoing inquiry

inform understanding of the kinds of condi-

tions that support further student learning.

When teachers make pedagogical deci-

sions, they reflect on students engagement

and learning resulting from their past deci-

sions (Schon, 1983).

Setting aside moments for reflection pro-

vides opportunities for collective thinking to

become intentional and explicit. It allows for

multiple perspectives and alternative expla-

nations of student learning to be considered

and analyzed.

Reflection both aligns and challenges how

teachers and students actions are related to

underlying beliefs and theories of learning.

Consistent and regular cycles of inquiry

allow for progression in thinking.*

*www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/

inspire/

P r o f e s s i o n a l S t u d i e s

f o r T e a c h e r s

*This brochure was inspired by and quotes heavily

from:

The Capacity Building Series is produced by The

Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat to support lead-

ership and instructional effectiveness in Ontario

schools. The series is posted at: www.edu.gov.

on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/

7/30/2019 Teachers as Learners

2/2

Teachers Become Learners

In practice, inquiry

engages teachers as

learners in critical

and creative thinking.

It honours opennessand flexibility.

Through collabora-

tive dialogue, teach-

ers seek emergent

possibilitiesnew

questions and solu-

tions to student learning and achievement (www.edu.

gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/).

A Learning Cycle examinesstudent work, but at its core

the cycle is about teachers

learning new instructional

strategies or approaches to use

in the classroom. There is a

camaraderie among the teach-

ers who trust each other and

share ideas for engaging and

succeeding with instruction.

Inquiry Driven by Student Data

A focus on student learning drives inquiry. Data

generated from student actions and work compel teach-

ers to investigate new, engaging and relevant questions

about how and what their students learn. These ques-

tions lead to informed actions within the classroom,

which in turn serve to refine or initiate new investiga-

tions (www.edu. gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/

inspire/).

Why engage in teacher inquiry?

Learning Cycles,

Professional Learning

Cycles, CollaborativeTeacher Inquiry,

are a few of the many

names given to groups

of teachers who come

together to research

ways to improve their classroom instruction.

Key to the series of meetings that make

up the cycle is the use of student work to

guide the inquiry and learning that occurs

for the teachers. It is a chance for teachers

to learn from one another and incorporate

their learning into their classroom practice,

Through collaborative inquiry, teachers

integrate new knowledge and understanding

of student learning and classroom instruc-

tion into their existing knowledge of profes-

sional practice ( www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/

literacynu-

meracy/

inspire/).

Examining Assessment Practices

.assessment for learning is integral toengaging in professional inquiry. The learningprocess of students (What is the student say-ing about his/her thinking during a task?) aswel l as theproducts of

their learn-ing form theessentialmaterial ofthe inquiry.

Theability toanalyze theevidence (e.g., transcriptions, anecdotal notes,photographs, videos, podcasts, oral record-ings) with colleagues is key to the effective-

ness of the process.

Professional dialogue that focuses on au-thentic student-centred issues leads to furtherpredictions and/or questions regarding howstudents might best learn within a specificcontext. Here, classroom-based descriptionand analysis help generate new knowledge andinsights that may have both immediate andlonger-term consequences for teaching andlearning (www.edu. gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy /inspire/).

We dont inquire to

eliminate alternatives

but to find more func-

tional understandings

to create diversity,

broaden our thinking

and ask more complex

questions.

(Burke & Short, 1991)

For those

engaged in

inquiry, the

process can

serve to expand and refine their personal

knowledge base about what it means to be a

teacher. (Earl, in press).

We can bounce ideas off each

other. If one of us is having a hard

time prompting a student in a certain

way, the other one just naturally falls

into place. So just having that newlearning process with [co-teaching in

our collaborative inquiry and] having

another person there has been

great.

(www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/ litera-

cynumeracy/inspire/)

The climate had to be

established that it was

okay to take a risk; we

needed to have a venue to

have courageous con-

versations The climate

is so important because

we were able to talk

about our struggles.

(www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng

/literacynumera-

The vast majority of teaching time is spent alone

with students in the classroom. However, the collabo-

rative nature of inquiry is what enables the learning to

go deeper.

Collaboration provides perspective, diversity and

space for teachers to consider questions about student

learning that can provide new insight unavailable in

inquiry processes that are done individually. Finding

common ground for all teachers to engage authentical-

ly together requires negotiation (www.edu.

gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/).