Anam+Aziz


 * Today's PLC Lesson: Teacher Inquiry: Studying your own Practice**


 * Today's PLC Lesson: Studying your own Practice**

**PLC Group Name: Education Station** **PLC Meeting Location: Walnut Bend Elementary** **PLC Meeting Time: 9:00 a.m.**

As an anticipatory set for today’s lesson, please read the article “Getting "Inside Inquiry": Teachers' Questions Transform Their Practice“ []
 * Hour 1**
 * //ENGAGE//**

// [Note to PLC Leaders: // // Post to your Group space a second reading, resource, or website for your team to explore in order to broaden or deeper member understanding of studying your own teaching. You might search for “Teacher Inquiry” or “Professional Learning Communities” or “Action Research” or” Teacher Research.”] //
 * //EXPLORE//**
 * http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/TL/AR/**

// [Note to PLC Leaders: // // You will lead the group in responding to the reading and other resources. Here is where you will post to your group space at least 3 open-ended discussion questions. Each PLC member should have an opportunity to share his or her understanding of the content.] // 1.) Have you seen your teachers plan for conducting inquiry in their classrooms? How have they collaborated with other teachers? 2.) What seems most successful or least successful about your teaching? 3.) How can you analyze the data that you collect for your own teaching?
 * Hour 2**
 * //EXPLAIN//**

// [Note to PLC Leaders: // // Here is where you will present a brief activity for the group to test its collective understanding and to push it into new directions. Today, I’m suggesting that you continue the work we began in our last face-to-face class as we thought about the Inquiry #3 assignment. We started discussing “wonderings” you have about your own teaching practice—something that seems to work or something that doesn’t seem to work or something that you would just like to improve. Now that you have had a chance to complete your midterm reflection--including setting goals for the second half of the semester--as well as meet your new placement class, here is your chance to finalize your "wondering" so that you can begin collecting data. Modify the f] //
 * //ELABORATE//**

As a group, make a list of teaching strategies of your own about which you have a wondering. You probably have things in common! Take turns selecting one to focus on and formulating a “wondering” about that strategy. Help each member to make a plan to initiate, analyze, and write-up this inquiry? What questions does each member have that the group can help sort out about the process?

1. As a group, reflect on what you have learned today about studying your own teaching practice. Why should teachers ask questions about their own teaching? How would your job be different if you approach it with an inquiry stance versus approaching it with no intention to ask questions?
 * Hour 3**
 * //EVALUATE//**

2. As a group, draft a brief statement (approx 1-2 paragraphs) of what you learned or new understandings you came to during this discussion. What did you agree with/about, and what did you not agree with/about? How do you KNOW you learned and grew?!

=
We learned that we all have an issue with classroom management. The reason we concluded for this was because we do not feel comfortable imposing our own styles of teaching in a classroom that is not ours. Also, students take advantage of us because they know we are only in the classroom for two days and they do not have to listen to us. We all agreed with the issue of classroom management and how asking questions about your own teaching is very helpful. Teachers need to ask questions and reflect on his/her learning styles in order to improve his/her strategies. There is always room for improvement and teachers can always change his/her strategies to better teach his/her students. We did not have any disagreements. We all now have an idea of what we are going to do with our inquiry 3. Before coming to the meeting, we had no idea of what to do. Now, everyone in our group has a plan and an idea of how to conduct our inquiry.======

3. As a group, please look at the Assignments page for the description and grading rubric for the Inquiry #3 assignment. You will be selecting a teaching practice of your own to study. The format is the same as your other inquiries, and is detailed on the Assignments page for this assignment.

4. Individually, please send your “PLC Check” as an email to Dr. Pierson and Ida (mpierson@uh.edu; idalkm@hotmail.com): --What/Who worked well in today’s PLC meeting? --What/Who didn’t work so well in today’s PLC meeting? This PLC check is due emailed by Friday (10/29) at midnight.