I have had multiple opportunities throughout my teaching career to experience the cycle of inquiry. When I first began teaching (Many moons ago!) I had to participate in a teacher induction program in which the cycle of inquiry was at the core of the program. A few years later I was asked to be a BTSA support provider for a first year teacher and once again, I experienced the cycle of inquiry. Leading this first year teacher allowed me to experience the cycle of inquiry from a different perspective. As she learned and gained better teaching skills as a result of the cycles of inquiry she was completing; I also learned from her. Similar to my own induction process, I gained a great deal of knowledge and felt re-energized to complete cycles of inquiry in my own classroom. At the time, I was teaching in a first grade classroom and I felt that purposefully completing cycles of inquiry in my own classroom, allowed me to learn more and in turn be a better support for her in her journey of becoming a better teacher. Now that I am teaching intervention groups, I feel that I continue to follow cycles of inquiry with in my small group intervention.
Last semester we were asked to complete some action research in our classrooms. Following the cycle of inquiry to gain knowledge and complete my research allowed me to realize that I continue using cycles of inquiry when I teach different lessons; yet, not to the extent of the formal research process that we followed last semester. Even though the curriculum I am given to follow can be quite scripted at times, it does allow me to complete cycles of inquiry because we touch on the same strategies throughout different stories. I have come to realize that as educators, in order to become better at what we do, we must continue to complete the cycle of inquiry in everything we teacher.
2 Comments
Alicia Martin
2/26/2018 08:40:20 pm
I agree with you that it is important to complete the cycle of inquiry in everything we teach. We might not do it in a formal way, but at least going over our lessons informally will help us become better at what we do. That's awesome that you were able to go through so many experiences and learn from different people along the way.
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Stephanie Jones
2/26/2018 09:51:20 pm
I agree that guiding a new teacher brings forwards good teaching strategies and forces you to slow down and look at the cycle of inquiry. I am finding myself explaining and modeling the cycle of inquiry with my student teacher this year. As busy teachers you just go, go, go and don't often take the time to step back and evaluate your work. The cycle becomes so natural that it happens automatically.
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