This is a little off topic, but if any of you have delicious accounts, I would love to see your resources.  If you would send me that info or you can tag me at weaver32091.  This would help me to catagorize my Teacher Inquiry "stuff".  I'm just beginning.

Thanks, Gayle

This has truly been an exciting process for me.  It's been like the birthing process, from conception to birth.  To begin the year with everyone and learn so much from everyone was great.  The inbetween time, meeting with our county's teachers, phenomenal.  This process generated so much positive, educational talk, I just can't put it into words.  But it was truly a joy to meet and talk and train with teachers and totally discuss students, classroooms, data, educational essentials.  There was NEVER a pity party or "if only" talk.  It was great.  I think it made us all realize the educational focus that we need to continue to be the very best for our students.  AND THE BIRTH, wow, the showcase was just great.  I know I've already commented once about the high quality, the organization, the "no stone left unturned" mentality.  Thanks to everyone who was a part.  It was great.  I do hope we can continue.

Gayle

I feel that the most powerful component that has emerged this year is the pure joy I have seen in those going through inquiry this year. They all felt so empowered and enthusiastic about their own inquiries and those of fellow inquirers that the happiness in tackling their own wonderings stood out the most to me this year-more so than in the past.It is fulfilling to see this project "light teachers up."

I know that in the case of the elementary school inquirers, their study has greatly impacted students because they focused on specific students and were trying to improve performance in a specific way-only one student out of about 19 was considered less better off than before the inquiry began. I am sure that as far as the high school participants the students derived some benefit from the teachers enthusiasm and "open stance" not to mention how the findings changed practice for the greater good.

I guess the most important thing I learned was the necessity of a support system while going thru this process of inquiry-inquiry has it's own life cycle in a way and when energy is low or data is OVERWHELMING that support is vital. In other words  we can not minimize the value of the sounding board /coach role in inquiry. I also learned that communication is a necessity as well. If inquiry takes place in isolation with inquirers working through their own wonderings without the time designated to share them aloud then the process and "stance" are weakened and feeble.

Guiding others through this process has been invaluable to me as a person and a teacher.It has allowed me to get to know on a professional basis teachers in my district that I would not get know at all otherwise as we all rush though our various responsibilities every day.Of course listening to them all offered me ideas and led me to "wonderings" (plenty) of my own that could branch off from their research. I have felt a sense of accomplishment both of the years I have served as a coach!

Where do I go from here?

I would love to continue assisting teachers in this process and I feel I have been given the tools to do so but most importantly I have carefully watched a most graceful example of how to lead others in inquiry by watching Nancy Dana lead our group along this road.I would always choose to have her with us still if that is possible because her support has been constant and unwavering! Thank goodness we have her voice within her books!

Have a great summer! 

I will miss you Nancy and Chris and Katie!

 The most powerful component of engaging in the teacher research for the inquirers I coached this year is see the teacher excited about reasearch. I believe that they were so excited because they were in control of their own professional development through the inquiry that was picked by them because of the relevance to their students. I believe that the teacher inquiry has impacted students positively because all of the teachers were able to show growth in their inquiry. I believe that data collection and ananlysis is a key part to the inquiry. I think that teachers often engage in trying new things to improve their students, but rarely do they collect the data needed to see if it really made impact on their students. Also, the opportunity to share and the learn from others was powerful. While at the showcase, I noticed that my teachers chose to go to see presentations that we similiar to theirs or something that they've want to try next year. It is interesting to see them want to learn from others' experiences and use that knowledge in their own classroom. I have throughly enjoyed working with my group of teachers this year. Their passion about improving their students learning is contagious. The communication we had throughout the year was truly valuable; I felt that we had our own teacher community and were able to turn to each other in need. Next year I hope to continue the process and foster more learning communities through teacher inquiry.

I have enjoyed working with everyone this year.

Alissa

 The most powerful component of engaging in the teacher research for the inquirers I coached this year is see the teacher excited about reasearch. I believe that they were so excited because they were in control of their own professional development through the inquiry that was picked by them because of the relevance to their students. I believe that the teacher inquiry has impacted students positively because all of the teachers were able to show growth in their inquiry. I believe that data collection and ananlysis is a key part to the inquiry. I think that teachers often engage in trying new things to improve their students, but rarely do they collect the data needed to see if it really made impact on their students. Also, the opportunity to share and the learn from others was powerful. While at the showcase, I noticed that my teachers chose to go to see presentations that we similiar to theirs or something that they've want to try next year. It is interesting to see them want to learn from others' experiences and use that knowledge in their own classroom. I have throughly enjoyed working with my group of teachers this year. Their passion about improving their students learning is contagious. The communication we had throughout the year was truly valuable; I felt that we had our own teacher community and were able to turn to each other in need. Next year I hope to continue the process and foster more learning communities through teacher inquiry.

I have enjoyed working with everyone this year.

Alissa

Attached are Levy District Write-ups,'.  Where else do I need to send these???

This is for anyone who knows the answer. I know we have to submit copies of the final write-ups to NEFEC when we turn in our invoices; but do we send Dr. Dana a copy of the final write ups also? I will wait for you all to let me know what to do. Have a great week everyone.  

So in one of the other topics, I saw Brandy mention the invoices.  I haven't told my people to put them in yet.....should they?  Could they?  Perhaps Nancy or Brandy could respond.

I'm trying to get an article in our local paper about our participants.  I'm going to try to attach a picture of our group outside the PAC after the closing for you to see.    Well, it's too big.  I'll try again later.

Gayle

All,

What a rush!!!  The 4th (showcase) was spectacular.  All we needed was fireworks to top off a great experience.

 My principal and I got the verbal go-ahead from our district administration to host a district-wide showcase next year(like Flagler did this year).  We are talking about hosting presenters from our district and inviting Dixie and Gilcrest to join us if they want to participate.  I need input from Nanc so we do not interfere with anything planned by CSI/UF next spring.

 Also, do we use write-up instructions from last year or did I miss getting the attachment???

We will be sharing some of the ideas we learned during our next faculty meeting. Already we have our teachers implementing some of those ideas today! Thanks everyone for helping prepare your group – you did a magnificent job!

I really enjoyed the Showcase this year. Each year it seems to get better and better, although the first one was fantastic also. Even though my principal did not come (tired) and the county person didn’t show (grandchild sick and had to watch), I was happy that I did see a Columbia Co. group from a school show with their principal (they had no one presenting). I have been trying so hard for three years to promote how wonderful and fulfilling inquiry is with our county people… how it is the best IPDP (individual professional development plan), the deep conversations about student and teacher success, the reflections about one’s own path and methods… I will keep trying to bring these ideas to our county people here.

If any of you have read the book WOW- Adding Pizzazz to Teaching & Learning- You would understand what I mean when I describe Saturday as a WOW.  It was a great day & my participants were so excited about what they learned.  They've had me emailing several of you this morning to see if they can come and visit your schools.  Thanks Brandi for attaching the article & newsclip.  It's great to work with such an awesome group of professionals. 

The Inquiry Showcase was wonderful. Out of 7 teachers from Lafayette,5 of them were first year presenters and they had an awesome experience. Saturday went so smoothly and was inspiring. I again enjoyed attending and being a part of such a wonderful event.

HI folks,

What a fantastic Showcase.  Everything was so well organized and my people were VERY impressed.

I'm starting to get questions about the invoices...can we submit them as soon as we submit our writeups?  It's $200 for the inquirers right?

John

Wow! What a terrific day yesterday was. For the two of us from Putnam who had participated before, it was wonderful to see the growth of so many additional inquiries. For the rest of the group they felt so validated by the others who were wondering about so many things. It was a terrific ecperience and we loved all the presentations we were able to see.

I thought today was great.  All my presenters really enjoyed the day and learned so much from others.  We may try to have a reflection day in Bradford. 

Gayle 

Hey to everyone!  I hate to disappoint all of you, but I think Union counties presentations are the BEST!  We did a practice run yesterday & WOW- My participants did a great job.  I love how everything always seems to come together at the end even when you have doubts.

I can't wait to see everyone next week.  I'm off to enjoy Spring Break starting tomorrow.  I'll see you next Saturday!!!!

Like everyone else, we will be doing a practice run on Wednesday of this week.  We will be on Spring Break the week before the showcase.  Therefore, we wanted one last time to get together & work out any kinks in our presentations.  I have a couple that are extremely nervous - which surprises me since they both have an outgoing personalities.  One of my teachers misunderstood about the 20 minutes presentation & thought she was talking the entire 50 minutes.  It was comforting when I shared that she would only speak for 15 & take questions.   That in itself should help her nervousness.  I'm glad we communicated early & got this straight.  I looking forward to next Saturday.  It's just so hard to limit the sessions to a couple of choices.  So many of them look very interesting.  I'll see everyone next week.  Time is running out quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!

My group has been the best. They have been extrememly cooperative as we have tried to work together as a group and still maintain hectic schedules. Everyone is very busy trying to compile their findings into a report. I have been meeting individually with each participant to help them finalize their presentations. We have decided to meet in two groups to practice our presentations. As usual the thought of presenting anything seems to be intimidating. I find it something of an oxymoron that teachers spend all day presenting to students yet get nervous when they have to present to adults. We all are feeling the last minute crunch of time closing in on us. 

My teachers and I took our substitute day recently to work on our inquiry project. We were able to meet together in our conference room and continue to discuss directions we needed to go for our presentations. We were able to have our mobile cart with lap tops so that those who were working on a Power Point could do that with their time. Everyone in my group is feeling confident about their presentation and is getting geared up for the showcase. Also, they shared their excitement about getting to see some of the other presetation that they read about in the showcase maual. 

Well, we had an all-day dry-run with our presentations today.  Wow, I'm blown away.  Everyone walked away with some great encouragement and advice on tweaking things.

One presenter noticed that Kelly Pester is listed twice, presenting the same thing at the same time in 2 different rooms.  L354 and L356.  She only noticed because its her co-presenter.  Just FYI.

 A couple of my presenters will need speakers, will those be available?  Let me know and I'll give you their names.

Hope it's going well for everyone.

Gayle Weaver