Week Five - Reflection

“Research tells us that engagement in inquiry is an important ingredient for the overall professional health of an educator” (Dana, 2009, p.15) I as an educator must make the time to reflect because we will be more self assured and make more educated administrative decisions. I must reflect in order to remain on track and to successfully reach our goals. Reflecting is a way to keep our minds sharp just the same way we must maintain our bodies with regular exercise. I will be stronger and better off with regular reflection.
Reflection is vital aspect to action research. With reflection I can review to see if I am remaining on target or if I am straying in a dysfunctional direction. During reflection I ay discover things that need to be addressed from the research. I will have the flexibility to make vital decisions. Also from reflection, if the action research needs a change in direction or refining it can be done. Reflection allows this to take place because without reflection normal research may forge forward as establish from the beginning. Reflection is a progressive method of reaching the outcome of action research and is not as ridged as standard research.
I plan on acquiring the majority of my data through a questionnaire designed for teachers on my campus. I will reflect throughout the data collection and at the conclusion. Through reflection I hope to be able to answer if this is the best method of data collection and is this accurate and thorough enough. I will have to strive to “not depart from the daily work of administrators by become a part of their daily practice.” (Dana, 2009, p.71) The action research process should not be an excessive burden to my daily activities. It should fit seamlessly into my routine and I am going to work to make sure that it is not encumbering.
As my action research comes full circle I will have to decide who the information should be shared with and what suggestion I will make. Nancy Dana mentions four critical tasks that must be performed to effectively share an action research project. First, is to “provide background information” (Dana, 2009 p.163). I will mention this whole process was conducted with the supervision of Lamar University’s guidance and parameters. This should help give legitimacy to the action research process. The second critical task is to “share the design of the inquiry” (Dana, 2009 p.163). I believe this is very important for me to do because again it will give authenticity to the project. People that I share the data with should not be wary of where the info is coming from and how it is gathered. If others are skeptical of the data collection then they will be suspect of the findings. The third critical task is to “state the learning and supporting the statements with data” (Dana, 2009 p.163) I must be transparent in how I tied my finding with my data. I cannot make wild judgments without data to back it up. I have to be wise when coming to conclusion and make sure the backing is there. The last critical task is to”provide concluding thoughts” (Dana, 2009, p.168-169) I will summarize my findings and note suggestion on how to improve the process. If the action research goes well I may ask for permission to expand the scope to other campuses and possibly district wide.
I the end I hope the action research will have been worth while and some interesting facts are discovered on my topic of “what motivates teachers to remain the profession long term?” I am a teacher but I know that I am not like everyone. In reflection, to answer my own question a couple of motivations that keep me “coming back for more” are in no particular order…1. I enjoyed my time in school and in some ways this is a way to never “graduate”. 2. I enjoy the prestige and respect that being a teacher brings. For example, lawyers don’t always receive the same respect. 3. Teaching is a steady profession with job openings available. At this point in my career I should be able to find a job anywhere in the sate if needed. 4. Teaching provides a steady but not extravagant pay check. With my wife in education, we can pool our salaries and provide a comfortable lifestyle. 5. There are few professions that allow for extended time off during the summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. 6. I enjoy influencing kids in a positive manner. I know that I can do better than most in being a positive influence when many in their lives are a mediocre influence. I will display a quality work ethic. I will remain upstanding in my professional and private life. I cannot wait to see what this process produces.