Dale's+Inquiry


 * AGQTP Leading Professional Learning 2007

Action Research Project

Focus Question:** "How do I work with a professional learning team to support them to work together to acheive a school priority focused on strategic questioning?"

Initially a member of the school leadership team approached me to ask if I would be willing to work with a team in her school to support them develop as a team. While a member of the team this person is not the team leader as the "Distributed Leaderhip Model" utilised in the school has give this role to another teacher in the unit. Feedback to the leadership team through the Student Perceptions Survey have indicated differences between the classes responses across the unit and general observations of the team are that while all work from a common plan there is little evidence of shared input into the plan or resource sharing across the team. The leadership team member indicated that there was some reluctance on the part of the team to have someone from "outside" work with them as they were concerned that they were being judged and would have an increased workload.
 * Background Information:**
 * What I want to achieve:**
 * The focus team to have increased understanding of what it means to be a team member
 * Increased sharing of strategies to improve student learning across the team
 * Personal achievements include:
 * improved interpersonal skills to deal with reluctant people
 * deeper understanding of Action Learning and Reflective Practice
 * ongoing professional learning and use of ICT, especially Wikispaces
 * Indicators of success:**
 * There will be observable examples of resources being shared across the unit, especially with regard to the PoLT Inquiry focussed on questioning strategies.
 * A shared planning process for integrated units of work will be implemented for 2008
 * The leadership team will begin to observe changes in the team dynamics and more sharing of resources across the grades

I have:
 * Actions taken:**
 * Established contact with the team, initially through the team leader and then attending a team meeting where I outlined how I could provide support to the team with regard to their focus on PoLT principle 4, component 4 - __Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application - Uses strategies that challenge and support students to question and reflect.__
 * Had each team member conduct an Audit the questioning strategies they use - this audit was adapted from the Curriculum Corporations Assessment for Learning - Strategic Questions Professional learning resource
 * Had team members comple the survey " How well do we work together as a team?" from the ACEP Leading Professional Learning program
 * Conducted a focus group with students from each classroom on the questioning strategies used in their classroom
 * "Walked" through each classroom to gather evidence of the use of questioning. Observations were then shared with the team. One member asked for individual feedback.
 * Scheduled a planning session where teachers will plan a lesson and build in key questions they want to ask students to develop their understanding of the concept being presented.


 * Further action:**
 * Ongoing attendance at team meetings with modelling of setting an agenda that includes a "sharing" or "this works for me" segment.
 * Encourage reflection on working as a team by asking at each team meeting for feedback of one thing done well as a team and one thing to be improved on in relation to the team focus on supporting students to question and reflect.
 * Ongoing support for the team leader.


 * Evidence:**
 * Atendance at meetings/contribution to the discussions
 * Survey Results - 'How well do we work together as a team"
 * Team meeting agendas will include a "sharing" or "this works for me" segment
 * Evidence from "Walk"
 * Audits of Classroom Questioning Practice
 * Feedback from focus group
 * Feedback from the leadership team

My natural instinct to want to get things done quickly have been tempered as have worked to apply my learnings from the Leading Professional Learning Program. In particular I have focused on gathering evidence and presenting it to the team and allowing them to read it and take action. I have also taken on both mentoring and coaching roles in order to allow the team to develop new understandings and to move forward as they determine and in their own time.
 * Reflection:**