Resource teacher
Fairfax County Public Schools
Falls Church, Virginia
I鈥檓 passionate about teacher research. And here鈥檚 why: Five years ago, when my students and I were unhappy with a writing-instruction method I鈥檇 been using, teacher research helped me uncover what was not working, as well as discover and implement what was. Since then, as a K-1 teacher, I鈥檝e routinely used TR to help me 鈥渟ee what I would otherwise not see,鈥� as a colleague once put it.
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Teacher research is a voluntary but systematic means of gathering data, observing, and surveying students for results that can be used to improve your own鈥攁nd your colleagues鈥欌�攖eaching. In other words, you鈥檙e not dependent upon an 鈥渆xpert鈥� outsider for research; you do it all in-house.
Many teachers鈥攁lready overburdened with accountability requirements and the day-to-day pressures of running a classroom鈥攎ay question whether they have the time to become researchers. But the observations and documentation I鈥檇 normally collect now serve as the data sources for a focused examination of my teaching practices.
The goal here is to investigate, develop, and implement high-quality practices in actual classrooms. And that fits perfectly with the National Staff Development Council鈥檚 definition of high-quality professional development: It鈥檚 ongoing, data-driven, and job-embedded.
Teacher research gives me ownership of my professional growth. I don鈥檛 need to wait for conference opportunities or district-sponsored workshops that may not match my needs. Because TR involves reflecting upon one鈥檚 practice, it allows me to analyze and improve my teaching all year long.
As a result, I鈥檝e improved in all areas of the elementary curriculum. And, every day, I expand the learning opportunities for my students. That鈥檚 real empowerment.
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