Looking back at my TAI 2020, I must admit that it was a bumpy year for my teaching and learning. In this post, I'd like to reflect on my professional learning through my last year inquiry cycle.
The challenges that the pandemic and lockdowns forced educators through revealed the strong need for a drastic pedagogical shift. Like many other teachers, I had to act fast and extend my repertoire of pedagogical strategies and tools in order to meet my teaching intentions for children’s learning.
The inquiry process that I followed was well pre-planned and led by the Manaiakalani leaders and the Woolf Fisher Research Centre (WFRC). However, I felt the strong urge to act faster, especially during some of the inquiry stages, e.g. collecting initial data, profiling my students and making a hypothesis.
I found our COL meetings, especially Talanoa group times, quite useful. Such conversations helped me get connected with my COL colleagues and learn about their inquiries, challenges and successes. Professional reading was also a great part of my TAI as it supported me to make informed decisions when designing and trialling my intervention.
What worked really well and is supported by evidence:
- introducing blogging to my young Y2-3 learners and actively using their and class blogs to share our learning, learn from others and express their opinions or give feedback.
- actively listening to student voice and appreciating their learner identities when planning activities and topics.
- the gradual release of responsibility
- purpose behind each and every learning task!
Please refer to this blog post for more details.
I believe that all of the changes that I had to make during my TAI 2020 led to my students' successes and great progress. I would rate the changes for my learners as highly positive, evident and measurable. The evidence for my rating is supported by the EOY data both in reading and writing along with huge improvements in their key competencies, growth mindset and achievements.
I believe in the spiral nature of TAI and I'm ready to take my last year's professional learning to my new TAI 2021 journey.
