Action Research

This is what all PD should be like!

This is the comment I was given following our meeting/roundtable/workshop on Monday. I was gratified by all the positive comments, thank you’s and affirmations by the teachers.  A couple said, “our consultant rocks!” and one gave me a hug.  This is also the nature of this group of teachers. They are boisterous, emotional, open, opinionated, intelligent and appreciative professionals. People were happy with the day and left feeling good about the work we are doing and the support being given. This made me happy.

As I cleaned up the room and put away books I started to realize just how little of my original agenda was covered. I estimated we approached about 1/3 of what I hoped or imagined. Granted, I knew I was being optimistic with the agenda (I always have too much in the fear of running out of material), but we spent a good deal of time talking about the nature of art, what constitutes art and the value of process.  The discussion was intense at times and went quite deep as we analyzed where some perceptions come from and influences on attitude. It was quite enlightening.  Middle class values and work ethic in opposition to elitism was raised on more than one occasion. Teachers seemed to be thoroughly engaged in the debate and keen to offer opinion or to challenge assumptions.  What fun! How little we get opportunity to do this in our daily life!

Going into this day I questioned my power and authority and wanted to be aware of agenda driven control over the group. I can see by the outcome that it was not an issue.  Were we too off track? Difficult to know, but I’ll try to find out from the teachers.

Planning: They have been asked to contribute to a Voice Thread as a reflection tool on our process. We didn’t have time in the day and so they are doing it on their own. I have a feeling I may have to gently push this along – its easy to get busy with everything back in the classroom, I certainly understand why it wouldn’t be a priority. I hope to visit each one individually and see if I can help them by covering classes perhaps.

We also agreed to the concept of teacher as researcher and building our “culture of evidence” together. They were given cameras and asked to try to document the process with students, write about the thinking and to post it online on the Ning.  Already, several of them have personalized their pages and have started posting.  One teacher has begun a discussion thread about the nature of art vs technical skill.  I am excited by the prospect of getting our discussions underway through this medium.

Next step: collect Voice Thread reflection, gather feedback on our day, book personal visits with teachers and encourage Ning discussion.  My three actions are complete, now I need to finish gathering the data I need.

Whew! That feels good to take a moment and recognize where I am at.

I am a curious person. I love to ask questions (sometimes to the despair of my children!)

Thinking, considering, questioning, picking at, guessing, challenging, back-tracking, checking, revising and refocusing daily.  I have the good fortune to be married to a man who also loves to challenge and who helps me work though things.  I also appreciate my office mates – both critical and inquiring people, who are infinitely patient with me as I wrestle with ideas and agonize over concepts, struggling for clarity. Each time I start by saying, “I hope your not too busy, but….”   Or “What do you think would happen…”  and “I just don’t understand how to ….”  And they engage once more with me, helping me find my way, probing my thinking, massaging an idea until I can let it go once more.

Lunch, yesterday, was another example. I had been explaining how my thinking was changing again and can sum it up thus:

I thought we were forming a community of Arts Educators so that we might feel strength from numbers. To combat the isolation of being the only odd ball in your school. But I’m finding that as we clarify our roles, agree to common beliefs, and philosophy, so to our identity becomes more clear.  With this clarity of purpose comes the question “so what?” How is this meaningful to anyone else? Can we sit up at the big boy table and talk confidently about what it is we do and why it is important? In these days of assessment where do we stand? We need to move toward a Culture of Evidence (to use Dr. Burnaford’s title of a CAPES project in Chiacago).

As I fumbled to articulate these thoughts, I realized it captured a fairly accurate progression of my thinking.  It all seemed to make perfect sense.

The building of the community identity was indeed an important step in the process, but it allowed us to move into a new arena for discussion.  As we give voice to our world we are in a better position to share it with others – to make our case!

I sat at the lunch table, quietly contemplating this awareness. Sounded good, yup, makes sense. Uh huh….

Next, my colleague innocently asked me, “How much are you driving the process? Do you think the teachers in your committee look at you as wearing the “Mantle of the Expert”? Does your word carry more weight because you are a consultant?”

I looked at her and thought, “She found the elephant in the room!” Does my power and authority = compromised collaboration? What does that do to my understanding of my role?

The committee is engaged in a process of coming to understand the terms of Studio Thinking, our identity and common purpose and I think the process thus far has allowed it to happen.  It is a process I designed intentionally to include input and direction from the group, to build the concept of community.  But what is our community doing now? What comes next? I am ready to move us into some new territory, into what I have identified as a natural progression from the process. I also see it having a “big picture” ramification to our work. It will provide validation to the Arts through a firm grounding in assessment for learning.

BUT, are they ready to move into this arena of learning?  As the one who sets the agenda I also have the power. How does this impact our working environment?  We meet again on Monday (3rd action) and this needs to be my question for the day as we work.  We will be reflecting on our process, looking at collaboration, exploring ways to appropriately use technology, the purpose of documentation, and the connection to assessment. I’m concerned that we will be trying to cover too much in too little time (but we have so little time!) I may be pushing too much, too soon.

Upon reflection, it seems apparent that we need to consider our process and direction. I will try to use a VoiceThread for the discussion and will link (or embed) it when done.

We are a curious community indeed – we are curious about the world around us, curious about learning and the way things work…. and we are often seen as curious to others. This curiosity binds us together and will help us move forward.

(Holly Hildebrand “Poppies”)