WORKSHOP
WRITING
REFLECTION
Impact on Student Learning
I think this study impacted my students' learning in many ways. One of the most apparent ways that I saw was with more intentional teaching that was based on research and was data driven. I could see positive results in their growth in writing. None of my other teachings were based on research that I have done before. Because this was more meaningful for the students, they were able to grow and be impacted positively by the writing workshop.
What I
Learned
The main thing I learned was that my action research worked because I was more intentional with what I was teaching my students. I was not just giving them a worksheet and saying, "Here do this." I got to teach them separate lessons that taught them step by step how to write a sentence and what writing consists of. I learned that being intentional is important. I must have a purpose for what I teach. I also learned that I needed to teach the process of writing better and how I wanted it to go during writing time. I think if I would have had more time in the beginning to pre-teach expectations, that is what I would have done to better set my students and myself up for success.
Future Interactions, Behaviors, & Thinkings
This action research will change my future thinkings because I now know that I can perform an intentional study with my students if I see that they are struggling with a specific topic. I know that I can turn to research and I know how to gather data and also how to analyze it. I will also be more aware of the way my students are feeling about school, one another, and me. I will then be able to analyze the impact it might be having on certain students.
Impact on Current Teachings
This action research project had an impact on my current teachings in many ways. Throughout the whole study, I found that I was holding myself more accountable to teaching writing intentionally - more than I did before or even more than I even did with other subjects. Performing research based practices encouraged me to plan ahead and make sure that I was ready for the next lesson. I rarely planned the day of because I knew I wanted the results to show that I also did my best while teaching the students during the writing workshop. I knew I needed to be flexible so that I could be sure the data was showing what I was hoping for. If a lesson was not going as planned I had to switch gears immediately and evaluate why it may not have gone a certain way and then be flexible in planning for the next lesson.
Sometimes I felt pressured from making sure data was going to show good results and that I was going to get done what needed to be done. This is a positive impact because it kept me on my feet and ready to do what I needed to for my students to succeed.
Modifications & Changes
In the future, I will be sure to explicitly teach the process of how I expect something to go. Whether it be writing or any other subject, students need to be taught how they should act right along with the content they are learning. Another thing that I will be sure to incorporate in the future is more time for writing in general. It can be incorporated in so many different ways that I now know there is no excuse for not writing every single day. It is one of the most important skills that students need long-term in their lives.
Professional Growth
During this action research study, I grew professionally because I got to perform my first, real research and see positive results from it. I truly got to see that the research I read and put so much time into works and was worth all the hard work. I got to analyze and utilize the data that I collected and put it to use in my future teachings with this class and classes to come. Lastly, I was able to collaborate with colleagues both in and out of my district which helped me make decisions on what would be best for the success of the students in my classroom.
Remaining Questions
How much of the results were due to natural growth over the year vs. the actual teaching/study?
If I would have had a longer amount of time to perform the research, would it have came out with similar results? Better? Worse?
Impact on
Future Teachings
I know I need to be more meaningful with my students. When I intentionally plan out lessons ahead of time, my students will get more out of what I am trying to teach because I am also more familiar with what I am teaching.
I know that I can always turn to research when I am unsure of how to solve a problem. I do not always have to perform a whole entire study, but I can at least remember to get tips from research. Another thing that will stick with me for my future teaching is that it is okay - even necessary - to collaborate with internal AND external stakeholders. I have learned that I am not alone and there are plenty of people out there who have gone through something similar in their teaching and they are willing to help out!