Teaching As Inquiry - Jill Carter HGHS


Models for inquiry – spiral, process are a couple.

Phase 1 – Focus – peel an onion – what you want to look at.  Very important.
Phase 2 – what do you need to learn
Phase 3 – Do
Phase 4 – Evaluate.

Effective TAI is:
driven by passion, not compliance.
Pedagogy focused not focused on fixing learners
Focus on your own teaching practice – not the learners.  What do I need to change in my practice to help chn succeed?
Focused on new learning/practice.
Doesn’t have to be a success to be a learning journey.
Confirmed by various forms of evidence – something that fits or should be doing.  Look at the evidence in eval as well.
Needs to be open, about a sense of wondering and investigating.
About personal and professional growth
Can be enriched by collab sense-making

(Tony Burkin 2017)




Phase 1
Frame “how might I?”
Select a rich topic
Look back….reflect…to go forward
Try stepping back and look at the big picture
Is there a recurring theme in your reflections?

Ask your students and pattern the data
Classroom observations – reflect on ob feedback
Dig deep with a colleague you trust


How do you refine or clarify your topic?
Does it excite you
Is it something new

Frame your Inquiry question – How might I?

How – open-ended, can’t be googled, invites inquiry and points towards solutions

Might – suggests a range of possible options, limitless, blue-sky thinking

I – suggests ownership

Plan Phase 2, 3, 4.

Make your plan but you may change and divert. 



Phase 2

Engage in purposeful targeted and intentional PL  - readings, conversations
Use the PLD and evidence from Phase 1 to plan DATS for Phase 3

Structured meeting times with timeframes and expectations

Phase 3:  Teaching and Learning Actions = Do

Implement a range of DATS
Reflect and review
Look at one thing to try, not too much, keep it manageable.  Be specific in topic so it is manageable.

Phase 4:  Learning Inquiry = Evaluate
Objectively evaluate your DATS
Reflect and review

What is your new normal every day, best practice.

What does the evidence/data now tell us about the impact of our changes towards success?


Collaboration: PL Communities.
Adds motivation and value
Sustains attention to goals over time
Fosters teachers learning and practice development.

Inquiry Hubs. 
Cross school – no more than 6 people
Expectations – bring evidence to the meeting.
2 meetings a term

Summary Report:
The 4 phases of inquiry
Specific evidence of authentic work undertaken in each phase.
Needs to but brief but precise, including specific actions.
TKI has plenty of templates for inquiry.

If it’s a rich, purposeful and authentic TAI it yields quality evidence towards the Professional Stds.  

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