Week 32: Key change in my professional practice

Step 1 (What): Identify one key change in your professional practice

The key change in my professional pactice is using research to inform my learning. I seek out research as a theory of improvement for all new interventions and initiatives i try. We use the spiral of inquiry as a teacher inquiry framework at our school and the new learning section is very important.
I seek out research articles to share with staff when we are looking at initiatives or changes in practice at our school.
This change in my professional practice links to Standards for the Teaching Profession:

• Professional learning - Use inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners.

Step 2 (Now what): Evaluate the identified change

Stage 1: Problem identification:

1. What drives you to make the change? (What is the problem that arise in practice?)
2. Why is it important to implement the change?

Using theory and research as the basis to every change initiative or change in practice means that its easier to get everyone onboard with the change iniative. When I plan to introduce something that is going to impact on learning of all our students it is useful to have the research to back it up that it works and has an impact on learning. I met with parents this week and we were discussing a way of working with some students. I brought a piece of research to share with them that backed up the way we were going to move forward and gave them a much better understanding.

Stage 2: Observation and analysis:

1. What kind of data you have gathered?
2. What insights have you gained about the problem that drives the change?

I am the assessment co-ordinator so I unpack our school wide data regularly. All of our teachers complete teacher inquiries focussing on raising student achievement, so spending time finding research about the intervention or initiative they are going to implement is important. I model this by using research as a basis for all school wide interventions and iniatives that I lead.

Stage 3: Abstract re conceptualization:

1. What are the new learning theories or research provide useful background to implement change?
2. What other perspectives be relevant to consider?

This section is the key change in my practice. That every change I make has a learning theory behind it. This allows me to consider other perspectives.

Stage 4: Active experimentation:

1. What new strategies or ideas you have tried to implement in your practice?
2. What have you learnt from the change/ experience?

Using the spiral of inquiry framework for my inquiries allows me to use the new learning to provide a theoretical framework to my change iniative and then I would introduce the change iniative and when I compare whether the change iniative had an impact on student achievement and learning this involves reflection about how much diffrence it made and self review on whether we as a school will continue with the change iniative. 

Step 3 (What next) Share your next plan(s) regarding your future professional development or your future practice.

5. What areas do you want to explore further in your practice? 

I want to continue with Educational Leadership reflections and inquiries. I am going to be Acting Principal for the rest of 2018 so I would like to examine further the different leadership styles and reflect on which is useful and when. 

6. How might you develop these ideas in the future?   I am hoping to take part in the first time Principals mentor programme.