Now I Got It!

It seems like I am constantly changing directions. I think it's best to carefully consider my topic and make sure it is exactly what I want now before I am too deep into it. I have now found my way, the journey I want to take. After research and readings, personal reflections, and discussions with colleagues I have found the path I am meant to take in this learning journey. The topic of a writing program for an entire elementary school is far too big of an undertaking for the time allotment given for this inquiry in this program. Furthermore, to develop a writing program for a school, teachers need to be involved. It is a collaborative process and not one I can or should take on my own. It is also a long process, one that would require a multi-year commitment. Because of these reasons, I have narrowed it to one key aspect of writing in one specific grade with a specific teaching approach. The inquiry will now be focused on sentence instruction for grade two students with a constructivist and exploratory approach.

I am excited about this inquiry. It was in my graduate diploma that I used a similar approach to teaching students addition and subtraction of two digit numbers. I approach the instruction conceptually as opposed to procedurally. It was a stretching for me as I was confident in teaching mathematics from a procedural standpoint. What I learned from that has completely change me as a teacher and how I conduct the business of learning in my classroom. Rather than showing and telling, I was challenging students to explore and see what they could do, guiding their thinking and allowing them to voice that what they have come to know. Their understanding of what was happening what much deeper than what I had seen in previous years. They remembered how to go about adding and subtracting numbers because they understood it.

I want to take this instructional approach into a different field, that of writing sentences. I have touched this in my practice the last couple of years here and there. Through this inquiry I want to connect what I already tried to do in my classroom with more intentional instruction, research and meaningful practice for students. Rather than giving students practice sheets or using a show and tell approach, I want to include students in creating sentences that come from them and guiding that which they know to that which they are to know. I envision students coming up with sentences, all different from one another but with a similar focus. The topic will be from their experiences and meaningful to them. It may be a non-traditional approach, but I wish to transform, change and evolve my instruction of sentences.

I want to especially thank my colleague Shawn, who read my proposals, discussed his learning and encouraged me in this process. He was also my partner during the field study in the math graduate diploma mentioned above. In reading his draft proposal, where he is connecting the math field study to the collaborative process of teachers I was inspired to take the learning I had in that particular field study to another subject as well, that of writing.

Shifting Directions

A friend of mine posted the following quote in her personal blog. It made me wonder and wander about my inquiry:

“Mindless wandering guarantees that you’ll discover surprises along the way. If you set out to look for a certain bird, you’ll be disappointed and consider the day wasted if you don’t spot one. But when you mosey along and turn your attention to everything you see, whatever you find along the way will be a wonderful revelation.” From Better Homes and Gardens, Tom Brown from Tom Brown’s Field Guides

Already, I have had a "surprise" along my learning journey. I had set out with a specific focus, that of the instruction of crafting sentences. I felt strongly about this; however, it seems like my inquiry is shifting directions at this point. Rather than being frustrated with the research and the writing I have already done, I am using it to inform part of the inquiry I am now undertaking. I am also excited about the "wonderful revelations" I will discover along the way.

This shift in direction happened after I received an e-mail from Ernie Janzen, the principal at my school. I had mentioned in passing that my inquiry focus was in the area of writing. With our school undertaking writing as an area of school improvement starting in the school year 2010-2011, I wanted to aline my research with the vision of our school. Since I am not teaching in the classroom for the year I am taking my masters, it seemed fitting that I could lay the ground work for our school, as well as for me as a research-practitioner, on a K to 5 writing program.

With the support and direction of the principal, three main areas were identified and constitute the framework of what I will focus on in the course of my inquiry.

1. Clear definition of what constitutes good writing;
2. Assessment strategies that are formative, not just summate; and
3. Teaching and learning strategies that span the K to 5 continuum.
   
   Some further things that I wish to incorporate:

• Writing that is integrated in other subject areas, and not taught in isolation;
• Quality of writing over quantity of writing;
• Strategies that have multiple entry points and that give depth and breadth for students of various abilities - differentiated instruction;
• Intentional teaching and learning strategies that can grow with the student from year to year;
• Assessment for teachers that inform students' needs and where the instructional focus should be at;
• Assessment that informs students of their writing strengths and improvement areas; and
• Other "must haves" that I will come across as I further investigate.

I am waiting for my instructor's approval of my topic. I am excited for this and think I will learn and grow in my professional knowledge and practice. It's another start!

Inquiry Focus

"Even the most accomplished writers do not admit to having mastered the sentence, for example, for no one ever expects to be able to write the very best sentence possible, one after another. Everyone continues to experiment and learn so they can write as many of the best sentences possible. Young writers should experiment and learn every day throughout their formal school experience" (Fearn & Farnan, p.79)

Writing is hard. Teaching writing is challenging. Learning to write is a lifelong process. Three short statements that ring true to my ear. Students begin to develop their language from birth, they learn to write somewhere in their early years and continue to develop it for many years to come. So, where does that leave the instruction of writing in elementary schools. Why do we focus on sentence instruction and quickly move towards paragraphs? Am I too quick to jump to paragraphs rather than spending more time developing students' abilities in the sentence fluency aspect? I hear it from many teachers...why can't Johny write a sentence? Does he even know what a sentence is? As a grade two teacher for the last six years, I found myself teaching the sentence craft year after year. But I also find that just because I spent a great deal of the first term on sentence instruction does not mean that students can write in sentences. I don't think sentence instruction can be limited to one grade, but needs to be taught again and again.

"I think sentence fluency is the most difficult trait to teach. This trait seems to require more inherent talent than the others "(Olness, p.140).

I think I found the area within writing that I hope to focus my inquiry on. It is becoming more clearer the more I dig in the pile of readings on my dinning table. But I am also overwhelmed as I realized that this is perhaps one of those challenging areas that I may not "arrive" at the end of my inquiry. In many ways I find that this journey will simply make me more aware of the many different ways of approaching this particular area in writing. I also know that just because one learned to drive, it does not make one a good driver. However, the fact remains that teaching and learning writing is foundational and that I need to continue to find ways to further develop my students as writers. Sentence fluency is a start.

"It is absolutely necessary for students to be able to craft well a sentence in order to write well; however it is not sufficient in itself. Students must learn to use the tools to construct a sentence" (Fearn & Farnan p.78).

Where do I go from here?

This is the question that has been in my mind for the last couple of weeks. I feel the pressure of time to narrow down my research ideas. I am unsure of the road I need to take. In one of the readings this past week a specific quote jumped out at me:

"All teachers have wonderings worth pursuing. Transforming wonderings into questions is the start of teacher research" (Hubbard & Power, p.2).

I am realizing that in my pursuit of answers I may indeed find more questions. A while back, in reflecting over my years of teaching I wrote the following, “As a teacher I am continually learning – about myself as a teacher but also as a learner, as an individual but also as a member, in my successes but also in my failures, about my students but also from them – learning who I am, what I am called to do and how I should get there.” I feel the need to expand that to include that I am also learning from my search for answers but also from my growing list of questions.

Writing is a vast area and with many possibilities. I have compiled a list of questions. However, the list of questions seems to grow and my hope of bringing about answers seems to become less and less of a reality. I know I need to choose one small piece of the writing puzzle. The more I read and research about writing, the more I am convinced that this is indeed my focus. More specifically, I am thinking of choosing strategies that would help teachers at any grade with writing across the curriculum. As a teacher I always find myself with the need to integrate subjects if I am to attempt to cover all that students need to learn through the year. Writing becomes integrated in many curricular areas. So to target writing is to not only help writing itself, but all curricular areas. What is it then within writing strategies that I want to invest my time into? Another area of possible focus is the connection that exists between oral and written language. A specific question that comes to mind is: “How can oral language help, enable or support the teaching of the written language in the primary classroom?”

I am continuing to search for a specific direction in the coming weeks. Reading will continue to guide my thought process as well as conversations with colleagues. My hope is that I will gain clarity in my journey and a light to guide me.

The Journey Continues

The first class has been completed. The learning journey continues. I don't say it has only began, since as a teacher I am continually learning. There is no beginning or end to what I call learning in the field of education. I am simply continuing to learn the craft of teaching. The master's program offers me the opportunity to formalize my learning into a degree. In the first hour of the class, the professor throws the following question to the class: "What does mastery of one's craft mean?". The question is not easily answered. As I ponder over it, I begin to think that the teaching craft can ever be mastered by any one particular teacher. So why is it then, that I seek a master's in my craft? It is because I long to find ways of enriching and broadening what I know about my craft.

The first week's readings have been completed. It was while reading the introduction of the book, The Art of Classroom Inquiry, that I began to feel empowered in viewing myself as a "teacher-researcher". The passage that has jumped out at me states:

"If you have a problem-solving mind as a teacher, you are ready for research. If you welcome change and growth with your students, research can have a place in your professional life. The educational world is certainly in need of the tomorrow mind of teacher-researchers!...The first is to be humble and recognize that you have much to learn from your students and their communities. Second, approach your teaching always with a sense of inquiry, framing quesitons about your students and their needs to guide your teaching. Finally, have a willingness to share your story" (p.xvi).

I find that I am and have been a teacher-researcher. I wonder and seek solutions. I change and adapt. I seek and find. I learn and teach. I think and share. I am a learner. I am a teacher. And, I am a researcher.