- Do you believe that inquiry is part of everyday teaching practice? Describe an example of how inquiry can be put into practice in the classroom.
- Can you describe an inquiring teacher you have had?
- What does Beverly Falk mean when she says she wants her students to understand that “teaching is always problematic?” How does this relate to the examples on p. [Ch. 1, pp. 11-13] demonstrating the relationships between theory and action, and research and common sense?
- Why does Falk believe that it is important for teachers to be inducted into a habit of inquiry about teaching practice?
Do you believe that inquiry is part of everyday teaching practice? Describe an example of how inquiry can be put into practice in the classroom?
The first thing we need to do is define "inquiry." Falk describes inquiry as "an opportunity [for teacher learners] to generate and explore personally meaningful questions about their practice." I believe inquiry is a part of everyday teaching because it has a much broader meaning than the context in which Falk uses it. Teachers need to constantly ask themselves questions about the content of what they're teaching, the standards to which they must orient their teaching, the effectiveness of lessons, and how best to communicate all of this effectively to students.
One of the ways to put inquiry into practice in the classroom is to review the effectiveness of instruction - do students seem to grasp lessons? Are they completing the lessons with enthusiasm and interest? What sorts of instructional methods are other teachers/my in-school colleagues using? What does new educational research show?
Can you describe an inquiring teacher you had?
Yikes. Um, I'd really have to think about this one. I've been in school since 1988 so I've had a lot of teachers - thinking about each of them will take some time...
What does Beverly Falk mean when she says she wants her students to understand that “teaching is always problematic?” How does this relate to the examples on p. [Ch. 1, pp. 11-13] demonstrating the relationships between theory and action, and research and common sense?
In the introduction to her site, Falk says:
The challenge I explore in this website is how to help teacher learners understand that teaching is problematic rather than a given, that inquiry is part of everyday practice.
I want to emphasize the phrase "rather than a given." Falk means that teaching is not the same on any given day, that it is different 24/7/365 because no students are ever the same. You cannot take for granted that Lesson Plan X which worked great in 2007 will work as well in 2010. Every day presents new challenges ("problems") to teachers which they much solve, hence the need for inquiry.
This relates to the information on pages 11-13 in Chapter 1 because in each instance (theory and action; research and common sense) one of the factors is a given (theory and research) and the others are used in dealing with the problematic nature of teaching.
Let me explain this further. On page 12 of our text Robert E. Slavin explains, "As the case of Mr. Harris illustrates, no theory, no research, no book can tell teachers what to do in a given situation." Theories and research are givens, as Slavin alludes. They often say that for "X problem, Y is the solution." Research may support this theory, but the research doesn't take into account variables not present during the research or experiments - something else Slavin says in his statement. Those variables require a teacher to put into action some common sense behaviors in order to teach effectively.
I see the "givens" of theory and research as being a broad umbrella under which teachers can exercise actions and common sense behaviors to make good instructional and classroom management decisions.
Why does Falk believe that it is important for teachers to be inducted into a habit of inquiry about teaching practice?
Falk says:
The challenges of teaching, especially teaching in the unpredictable environments of urban schools, call on teachers to be problem posers and solvers, to think and act critically, and to be able to articulate their beliefs and actions to other colleagues, administrators, families, and the public.
...
As they learn how to collect evidence, analyze it, and subsequently use data from their practice to inform their thinking and their teaching, it is our hope that the process of asking and pursuing generative questions will become a habit they will carry with them long after completing their teacher preparation. By engaging in the iterative cycle of questions - questions lead to other questions and evolve as the pursuit of them unfolds - we want teacher learners to not only gain competence and confidence in their skills, but also to learn how to articulate what they know, and to translate their understanding of powerful learning experiences to the experiences they structure for their students.
Falk believes that by making inquiry a habit, it will make teachers more natural and fluid in their teaching - that asking questions, finding answers, and articulating their actions and methods to others will become second nature and, logically, reflect itself in better, more effective teaching. Some of the most impactful teachers are the ones who seem to do it with minimal effort - outwardly, at least. But such natural, effective teaching is really the result of years of practice, habit, and hard work.
