2023 CoL Teacher Inquiry: Bursts and Bubbles

I'm delighted to share my amazing journey of CoL with you all. As we arrive at the end of 2023, it's a moment to reflect on the insights gained and anticipate the possibilities ahead!

Here is a short reflection of my Inquiry Focus for 2023 and following that, there's a summary of my 2023 Inquiry in the form of a Google Slides presentation.

My Inquiry question for this year was:

Will a focus on cultural visibility and prior knowledge accelerate student confidence and capability in Reading?

By intentionally integrating cultural visibility and leveraging students' prior knowledge, educators create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. 

I identified this as my focus when I noticed that certain students were not utilizing their prior knowledge and lacked confidence in reading or sharing their cultural stories.

To build a rich picture of my students’ learning I used the evidence and data from the PAT Reading Comprehension, e-asTTle Reading Comprehension assessments, student voice, and baseline observations. 

During the profiling phase, I noticed my target students prefer to sit silently but all become nervous if asked to read a paragraph. With my inquiry in mind, I stepped back and watched how they interacted with others when working in Reading groups. Actually, they were very quiet, did not want to read loud and there wasn’t much interaction between them.

After taking a mini-lesson with my focus group, profiling my own teaching provided valuable insights. For example:

• I used a number of deliberate acts of teaching.
• At some points, I felt that I could have asked more questions.
• Also, I should have given them enough waiting time to answer the questions.
• I did more talking as well.

The changes I made in my teaching were ….

• I am not going to rush through the lesson. 
• Conduct small group reading instruction to provide targeted support. 
• Establish clear, measurable learning objectives for my reading lessons. 

The literature/expertise that helped me decide what changes to make are summarised in my blog in detail. 

An integral part of my inquiry was an extended discussion whereby my students do predict, summarise, question, and clarify. I got this idea from Vygotsky's theories. 

Overall I would rate the changes in student learning as….positive, with noticeable improvements in engagement, comprehension, and confidence. 

The evidence for my rating is that…. I have observed increased participation during discussions, greater depth in understanding demonstrated by students, and a noticeable boost in their confidence when expressing ideas and sharing their thoughts.

The most important learning that I acquired about reciprocal teaching in my class is the power of collaborative learning and shared responsibility among students.

Remember friends “Teaching with cultural responsiveness means understanding that every student is a story waiting to be heard and valued”.

Response to Manaiakalani Kāhui Ako teacher within-school role

What achievement challenge are you considering as an area of focus in 2024 and why? Include in your WHY both evidence and your own passion/expertise.

I’m considering The Achievement Challenge 3 as an area of focus.  -Lift the achievement in Reading for all students, with a particular focus on boys and Māori students (both genders) in years 1-13

I’m also considering my Inquiry focus question to be around:  Can reading stamina and increased reading mileage, lead to improved performance/outcomes in e-asTTle reading comprehension/PAT assessments?

This year, my primary focus was on implementing culturally responsive teaching, emphasising cultural visibility, and tapping into my students' prior knowledge. I'm convinced that my efforts in this area have greatly benefited my learners.

• The major changes in my teaching practice included:
• Engaging in more extended discussions with my reading groups.
• Dedicating additional time to the careful selection of texts and genres.
• Implementing more explicit planning.
• Setting realistic goals for myself.

However, I encountered other significant challenges. One of these challenges was the observation that my students lacked reading stamina and reading mileage. They struggle to maintain their concentration during extended reading, and when they take e-asTTle reading comprehension assessments, they tend to quickly become disinterested and fatigued. Consequently, they often resort to randomly selecting answers.

I strongly believe that it is imperative to expose our students to a wide range of texts and genres to enhance their vocabulary, broaden their background knowledge, and elevate their overall reading skills.

What learnings from the 2017 - 2023 CoL teacher inquiries have informed or inspired your thinking?

During the year 2022, I actively followed the blog of my school colleague, Zhydah, where I witnessed her seamless handling of her responsibilities as a Community of Learning (CoL) leader. She occasionally shared her CoL journey with us, which served as a powerful source of inspiration, motivating me to step up and take on the role of a CoL leader within our school.

Additionally, my collaboration with another colleague, Rebecca, facilitated open discussions and made it significantly easier for us to delve into our inquiry focus. The highlight of my CoL experience this year was undeniably the "Hanga Meeting." During this event, I had the privilege to work closely with Rebecca Kirby. Together, we shared our expertise in flax weaving with our dedicated team of teachers. This "create" meeting had a profound impact on my confidence level, leaving me with a sense of immense pride and happiness.

How would your work support Manaiakalani pedagogy and kaupapa?

I will mostly use collaborative pedagogy with my learners. It will be learner-centred so that they are empowered to share their thoughts and opinions freely and confidently.

I will also ensure that learning is ubiquitous and visible as well.

My inquiry will follow the learn, create and share model as I dive deeper into reading, create a structured approach to literacy that best meets the needs of my tamariki and share this teaching inquiry with my colleagues at Glen Innes School, and the wider Manaiakalani CoL. 

Which elements of the extensive Manaiakalani research findings inform or challenge you as you think about this?

I explored Edpotential and read the cluster report for Manaiakalani and the school report. Our school reading data suggests that reading is an area of need. 

How would you like to be supported in 2024 as you undertake this inquiry?

I have been using a collaborative approach with my colleagues and I will continue to do so so that my work becomes more manageable. 

I am looking forward to engaging with the Manaiakalani team, and other CoL teachers in professional conversations.

Inviting CoL (AS) teachers to observe my reading class and provide feedback.

How would you plan to support your colleagues in your school with THEIR inquiries and/or teaching in the area you are exploring?

I would love to have the opportunity to share my findings during staff meetings and visit classrooms during my release in order to share my findings. Teachers from junior and senior sides are always welcome to my class and I am always willing to share my practices with them.