Enablers and Challengers to Inquiry-based Learning

All the Mentor Teacher-Teacher Candidate groups were provided with a case study. The purpose of the case study was to identify elements of inquiry-based programs that support and sustain inquiry and elements that might challenge a teacher to initiate inquiry in the classroom. This blog will focus on a Grade Two classroom and how the teacher created a physical and social environment and her pedagogical beliefs about how students learn best in an inquiry-based classroom. Here are samples of some interaction that the teacher is having with her students and the interactions that students are having with each other. This is a great example of how teacher learning gets transferred to student learning.

The question that the Teacher Candidate asked: What is the difference between a traditional classroom and and Inquiry-based classroom?

The Case Study that the Mentor Teacher used as a point of reference to answer the Teacher Candidate's question:

For me, the biggest enabler of inquiry learning is asking effective questions. Asking an effective question always leads to deep, rich learning, meaningful discussion and dialogue followed by reflection. The Teacher Candidate in this video asked an effective question and the result was a great reflection by the Mentor Teacher. Effective questioning is a skill that ALL learners need to develop, whether these are students. Teacher Candidates or even mentor teachers. Here is a link to some useful resources on effective questioning:

Effective Questioning

For Mentor Teachers and Teacher Candidates:

What are some enablers and challengers of an inquiry-based program, according to you? 

Capacity Building Takes Patience and Perseverance

As the Teacher Candidates approach the end of the first term of observations, I ask myself: What is the difference that makes the difference? Sometimes I get disheartened and a little disappointed by my own inability to capture the professional learning that is happening in other rooms. Yet, there are other times when I am energized by the response, such as when a Teacher Candidate published her first blog and another TC responded or when a TC walked in my teaching partner's room that adjoins mine and asked us a question about planning and preparing for an inquiry-based program. Reflecting on this journey of building capacity through this collaborative inquiry, I have realized that capacity building takes patience and perseverance. Building teacher efficacy from a leadership lens is not about the leader's ability to plan and implement. Instead it is about empowering the team and inspiring them to share my energy and passion for the inquiry. In one such discussion with Jenette Holmes, York University's Coordinator for the Faculty of Ed. program, I was reflecting on my journey so far and Jenette posed this question to me, "Define Capacity". What a great question! What is capacity? How can it be measured? What strategies do effective leaders use to build capacity in their schools? What do they do to get educators to share their vision? How does this collaborative inquiry promote, cultivate and support deep thinking and efficacy for all?
Here are some ways I think this CI promotes teacher efficacy and capacity building:

•  It provides a platform to demonstrate our commitment to learning, innovating and problem-solving.
• It enables us to investigate and engage in application of new learning.
• It provides us opportunities to ask purposeful questions that stem from genuine curiosity and problem of practice.
• I allows us to explore new ways to communicate, create and share.
• It creates a sense of accountability.
• It builds and develops habits of mind that are necessary for any learning to happen- flexibility, reflective thinking, cognition and metacognition, a spirit of inquiry. These habits of mind are essential in classrooms as well. When educators develop these habits of mind, they will transfer this learning to students. 

As an instructional leader, I am beginning to think that capacity building is not about what I want the team to do. Instead it is about equity and inclusion. Can I provide the support and resources in ways that each member of the inquiry feels included and supported? Can I be equitable and support each member's learning journey from where they are to where they want to take this initiative too? This is importnat work and requires patience and perseverance. Can I lead with my heart and my mind?

Purposeful Interaction in Action

The Teacher Candidate and Mentor Teacher having a professional conversation about how to plan and prepare for an inquiry-based classroom.

How my MT's think-aloud helped me, as a new teacher

After the Mentor-teacher / Teacher-candidate meeting on November 3, 2016, lead by Monica Chadha and Mrs. Gelinas, I reflected upon my interaction with my Mentor Teacher (MT). I started to think, what does my MT do to help me see things from a teacher's point of view? How does she help develop my thinking in becoming a teacher?

After having read over the notes I have taken during my observation during my placement here at Eldorado Public School, I learnt that my Mentor Teachers' think-aloud strategy helped me most. It changed my perspective on how the teacher teaches, why a certain activity is done a certain way, why a certain activity is used in class as well as how is that activity purposeful to the students. To answer all my questions, my Mentor Teacher decided to debrief me about her schedule for that day. Every morning before going into class, my MT and I would have a conversation where she would explain to me which activities she will be doing during the day, and what the reasons are behind each of them. When interacting with her prior to observing the activities being done with the students, I realised all the logic that was behind all the thinking of my MT's mind when she was planning the activities. I also had a better understanding on how those specific activities would benefit and better a child's learning in the Full Day Kindergarten classroom. 
She also demonstrated the different types of progress students make by comparing a Junior Kindergarten student and a Senior Kindergarten student. For example, she brought a JK student to a table and did a numeracy activity with them. She then explained to me in "teacher language" why that student did what she did, and what the child has demonstrated knowledge of. She also explained to me that based on what I had just observed, these are what the next steps would be for that student and how to improve and achieve her goal for her level. My MT then brought an SK student to the table and did the same activity with them. In the end, she explained what was being compared to the two. The result was that the SK student was the model of what the JK students' goals are to learn at the end of the semester.

In our first year education classes in university, we learn the hard way that the Ontario's Curriculum is written with big complex words, that we, as beginner teachers, are not yet familiar with. This was a great 'live visualization' that gave me hands-on experience of what the students are capable of doing at what age, and what the need to improve upon, to better understand what we read in the Ontario's education curriculum. 

I would like to add that I have been blessed to be given the opportunity to work along my Mentor Teacher as I have learnt a lot of beneficial things that I will carry with me throughout my career as a teacher. Definitely so much more than I ever anticipated after being with her for only three months. I am so excited to continue learning from my Mentor Teacher as I am more confident than ever that I will become a better teacher in the future thanks to her.

Dear all other student teachers, how did your Mentor Teacher help you prepare for your career as a beginner teacher?

Math Debriefs

A great question was raised by my teacher candidate, "how do you know what to discuss in a math debrief?"  This led to a great conversation. I talked about purposeful planning and teaching even in an inquiry-based classroom. Math investigations come from student questions, thinking and findings. That day students were working on a problem that involved place value. I was looking for them to show their thinking using various representations or tools. As I circulated I noticed the use of cusinnaire rods, place value charts and Base 10 blocks. I talked with students about their work and flagged those students who had used different representations. During the debrief we highlighted the different representations and talked about how we communicate our mathematical thinking and understanding. A great question led to a great discussion as well as reflection as a teacher. Sometimes we do things naturally in our classrooms but as a mentor teacher you need to openly share and 'think aloud' to pass along learning. 

Mentor Teacher/ Teacher Candidate Meeting

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to meet with teacher candidates to meet and discuss their experiences in the classroom. It was a great conversation, with many insights into their experiences and how we can best support them. Candidates shared their experiences with inquiry based learning. They reflected on how it has taken them several weeks to understand how and why inquiry happens. They were amazed to see how a simple read aloud could evolve into so many learning opportunities with children writing, discussing, asking questions and exploring various math concepts. One mentor teacher uses think alouds with her classes and the teacher candidate found this to be a valuable We discussed the value in asking their mentor teacher questions and seeking out resources such as, monologues. We also discussed how time for teacher candidates and mentor teachers to talk and discuss classroom learning is really valuable. We ended by asking what we could do to continue to support their learning. They expressed wanting resources to be able to read such as, Peel monographs as well as Ministry monographs. We also suggested they start Twitter accounts as it opens teachers to classrooms, researchers, and offers valuable professional development. Both parties felt that this meeting was a worthwhile leaning experience and wanted to meet regularly to talk and ask questions. 

The Role of Questioning in Purposeful Interactions

Questioning is the heart and soul of any open-ended inquiry-based program, whether it is in an inquiry-based curriculum or a collaborative inquiry. When teaching and learning is about posing questions that are invitations to think and those that come from genuine problem of practice or curiosity, then the learning environment takes on a whole new dimension. Just like questioning is at the heart of any collaborative inquiry, it is also an essential component for purposeful interactions. There are so many effective and well-researched professional resources on questioning. May be the amount of literature out there points to the importance of this skill in a teaching-learning environment. We ask our students all kinds of scaffolding, extending and challenging questions to move and push their thinking. But what role do these kinds of questions play in mentorship? As a mentor, how can we encourage and empower out teacher candidates to ask us questions, if we don't ask them any? As I think deeply about this collaborative inquiry, I can evaluate my own practices as a mentor teacher. I think a lot of my interactions with my teacher candidate are restricted to telling and not asking. Does that mean, that I am not setting high expectations for teacher candidates or that I do not expect them to be able to answer deep, rich questions? When I am comfortable about asking deep, rich questions of my students, I can surely do the same as a mentor. As I mentor my teacher candidate, my goal for this year will be to ask rather than tell, to let them discover through discussion, dialogue and purposeful interactions, the various nuances of an open-ended inquiry-based program.

I would like to extend this invitation to my colleagues, all the mentor teachers who are part of this inquiry. 

For Mentor Teachers:

What question will you ask your teacher candidate that will make him/her think deeply, critically and creatively about ___________ (inquiry-based program, assessment, 21st century learning competencies, curriculum, pedagogy, effective physical and/or social environment etc. just to name a few)?

For Teacher Candidates:

Start recording the questions YOU ask your mentor teacher. What kind of questions are these? Do they make you think about any of the above teaching practices in a way you have never considered before? 

I will start posting some questions in the comment section of this post. Feel free to post yours. It would be interesting to question our own questioning practices, reflect on them as we refine our mentorship skills and commit to purposeful interactions with our teacher candidates. If questioning is at the heart of an open-ended, inquiry-based program, then our interactions with future teachers of this program should model deep, rich questions that come from genuine curiosity and confusion about this kind of teaching and learning.

How the Collaborative Inquiry Model Aligns with the Ontario Leadership Framework (OLF)

Collaborative inquiry is a professional learning protocol that empowers educators to be self-directed learners by providing them with a rewarding professional learning experience. Teams of educators come together to question, gather relevant evidence, create action plans, and analyze the results, all for student success. In Collaborative Inquiry, A Facilitator's Guide, many educational leaders such as Reeves (2010), Katz, Earl and Ben Jafar (2009), Stoll (2010) are quoted to "promote collaborative inquiry as a strategy for strengthening teaching and learning." In the Ontario Leadership Framework, there are many leadership practices that align with the collaborative inquiry model of professional development. These are some explicit connections:

• Building collaborative cultures and distributing leadership
• Structuring the organization to facilitate collaboration
• Stimulating growth in the professional capacities of staff
• Building staff member's sense of internal accountability

The collaborative inquiry model creates opportunities for the principal, the instructional leader, to build a culture of collaboration at various levels of the organization. Though this collaborative inquiry focuses on improving the instructional program, it also demonstrates how various stakeholders and agencies come together to commit to a shared vision of the school.

How this Collaborative Inquiry Aligns with York University's Year 1 Practicum Learning Outcomes

When I started planning for this collaborative inquiry, I was only thinking about a project outline and its alignment with the expectations of my course. I spoke to York University's Faculty of Education Course Director, Janette Holmes, as well as several other professionals, my principal, my course professor, as well as my colleagues to get their input and feedback as well as their support. However, as I delved deeper into the planning and researching stages in my inquiry, I started to realize that if we have to understand the true implications of Purpose in the teaching-learning process, we have to go beyond just the scope of this collaborative inquiry whose title is "Purposeful Interactions". The concept of purpose is key to understanding the actions we take and educational philosophy and beliefs we hold. For this collaborative inquiry to be successful, there has to be purpose in it for ALL the stakeholders, students, mentor teachers and student teachers. This led me to think about this inquiry's implications for the Year One teacher candidates. What do they get out of this? I started to wonder: What if the challenge of practice that we felt as mentor teachers, a disconnect between the expectations of our inquiry-based classroom and the traditional planning and teaching methodology of teacher candidates, starts to become a challenge of practice for the teacher candidates? What if they start to feel the disconnect between what they are expected to do in the Year One Observation Year and our collaborative inquiry? What is in it for the Teacher Candidates? Having identified this challenge as part of the larger challenge of practice, I started to research the University's expectations. I found many outcomes outlined for the Year One Teacher Candidates aligned very well with this collaborative inquiry. Here is a link for the YEAR ONE Practicum Learning Outcomes.
These are some outcomes that directly align with this collaborative inquiry:

Teacher candidates will

Actively engage in the work of the school and classroom to understand the role of all stakeholders [1] in creating and sustaining an engaging, inclusive, safe and equitable learning environment.

The following provide some examples of how teacher candidates might demonstrate their acquisition of these understandings: In red, are the ways how this outcome aligns with the CI

• Develop strategies and tools for communicating effectively with families, school faculty and staff, and community; (Communicate with participating faculty)

• Research current practices to contribute to a newsletter or website at local classroom or school/community level; (Our CI Blog)

• Support capacity building in curriculum and community through initiatives such as literacy night, math program after school, family fit night, action teams for student leadership, alliances, anti-bullying, safe schools, community initiatives, etc.; (CI initiative that builds capacity within the faculty and TCs)

• Develop and share understandings of technology as a tool for communication and learning (e.g., blended learning, social media, website, interactive whiteboards etc.); (Using Google Apps for Education, GAFE, Blogger, Google Slides, Google Forms to communicate, share and reflect)

• Participate beyond the teaching day by attending division or staff meetings, participating in extra-curricular, etc.; (CI as an initiative beyond the day-to-day workings of the classroom

Demonstrate a professional manner in keeping with the Ontario College of Teachers Standards of Practice and Ethical Standards of Practice (OCT Professional Standards).

• Participate in ongoing professional learning (attending workshops, grade level meetings, staff meetings, PD, conferences) (CI is an ongoing professional learning opportunity)

Develop professional relationships with students, teachers, other teacher candidates, school staff, parents and others. (CI will provide an authentic opportunity to engage in professional dialogue)

• Engage in ongoing professional dialogue with mentors, other staff & TCs;
• Focus on professional communication.

Actively engage 100% of the day in the work of the school to support student learning. (CI will enable Teacher Candidates to engage in co-planning and ask relevant questions to evolve in their teaching practices)

Under the direction of the MT work with small, groups, individual students, special needs students;

Co-plan and co-teach with the MT;

Keep a daily professional journal in a practicum binder;

Keep a learning log in a practicum binder;

Ask pertinent questions about school programming;

Throughout this inquiry, teacher candidates will engage in open-ended inquiry as professionals which can then translate into inquiries for students in class in the same manner. Teacher candidates will document this journey for their own portfolio as expected from them as part of the Year One outcomes. This collaborative inquiry will be an excellent opportunity for them to investigate learning and reflect critically on the links between theory and practice as they engage in powerful, professional, purposeful interactions.

What is purposeful interaction? Why inquire about it?

Purposeful interactions are learning-focused conversations that lead to meaningful and authentic professional learning. Professional learning leads to student success and students are at the heart of everything we do in the teaching-learning community. Professional learning has "the greatest effect when it is clearly focused, practical, guided by current research and shared among educators in a supportive, risk-free learning community." (Partnering for Success: Getting the most from Ontario's New Teacher Induction Program, September 2010) There are several professional learning opportunities offered by the board to teachers of the board. But I do believe that professional learning that happens at the grass root level, in the classroom, in the school halls or staff rooms, in the form of professional dialogue and purposeful interactions,  in a timely fashion when there is an authentic need for it sticks. These kind of professional interactions are to educators as effective feedback is to our learners. If focused, purposeful, professional interactions have such a positive impact on student and educator self-efficacy and success, then it is worth inquiring about. It is worth having a professional dialogue on purposeful interactions. Collaborative inquiry is a very effective platform for any professional dialogue and purposeful interactions as it enables educators to learn in a supportive and risk-free environment. Though purposeful interactions can involve many stakeholders in a teaching-learning community and as a principal, all of these purposeful interactions are absolutely significant to student success, in this collaborative inquiry I want to focus on interactions between student teachers and mentor teachers.

My Rationale: As a principal, I want to foster learning in the school and around the community. Part of fostering learning is building capacity within the school and the larger community. I already know that there are resources in the school as teachers who are running a rich inquiry-based program. Our school also has a great partnership with York University's Faculty of Education program through which we welcome student teachers into our classrooms and mentor them in a safe, risk-free non-evaluative manner. This is a great platform to focus my inquiry on- purposeful interactions between mentor teachers and host teachers that lead to professional learning. This is even more significant this year as this is the first year when York University's Faculty of Education launched the two-year program of education in which the first year is focused on observation rather than teaching. Imagine the learning opportunities this year can create for our student teachers who will be the future teachers in our school system as well as the opportunities for our mentor teachers to continue to refine their practice through professional relationships and purposeful interactions.

Problem of Practice: For the past three years, we have been hosting student teachers through York University's Faculty of Education program. We have welcomed student teachers into many inquiry-based classrooms that are empowering our students through inquiry. However, we have also felt a disconnect between how student teachers are planning and preparing to teach in these open-ended, and inquiry-based classrooms and how programs are being run in these classrooms on a day-to-day basis. Hence, it is imperative that as mentors, we prepare our future teachers for the type of teaching and learning that focuses on 21st century skills and competencies while addressing the big ideas through curriculum expectations. This can be done when we have purposeful interactions between mentor teachers and host teachers.

The Question: How does effective purposeful interaction between the mentor teacher and the student teacher lead to professional learning in an inquiry-based classroom?