X. Future Implications
One of the biggest takeaways that I have from this entire inquiry research process is that there is not necessarily one best solution or prescription or answer to what makes the best classroom discussion or any activity for that matter. The theories and research that I came across are invaluable in helping to inform my practice; however, it is equally important to meet students where they are. Each group of students is a different community with different interests, strengths, and motivating factors. Thus, it is critical to pay attention to the dynamic of a class and individual students in order to know what works best for each class. There is never going to be one activity or one discussion that is perfect for every single student, which is why it is so important to continually reflect upon how to structure my class to best meet the needs of as many students as possible.
My inquiry question--what does engagement look like in a full-class discussion--feels unanswered but at the same time explored extensively. The initial question has led me to many more questions as well as theories about learning and education in general. Originally, I was frustrated by this outcome. I wanted to solve the problem or find the perfect answer to my question. Through this journey, though, I have found that there is no singular answer to any best practice in teaching. There are some things that tend to work well with one group of students and not with another. There are never blanket solutions for engaging, captivating, and motivating all students simply because each student is an individual with different strengths, interests, dislikes, and goals. While this idea can be overwhelming, it is also exciting and what keeps teaching a dynamic rather than a static endeavor. Teachers must always ask questions which lead to new conclusions which lead to new questions. The reflective process is cyclical and unending. An inquiry is simply an entrance point into a world of questions, continually evolving, developing, and compounding on each other. With these new insights, I feel that the question--how can I generate student engagement in my English classes--serves as a better inquiry question that I hope will guide my practice and theories about education for years to come.
In every reflection on teaching and learning that I have completed from the beginning of this program, I have been drawn and captivated by a Paolo Friere quote, which I simply could not leave out of my final conclusions for the year and I hope will continue to inform my practice throughout my career. Friere (2011) stated, a requirement of “[progressive] teachers is that they [recognize] that we are always becoming, because we just never are” (as cited in Wink, 2011, p. 103). This quote is essential to me in my perception of myself as an educator and teacher researcher. The day that I stop evolving and reflecting and "becoming" as a teacher is the day that I cease to be a teacher, for progress and best practices require constant change and growth. To grow means to change and without growth, an educator becomes ineffective. Growing as an educator means to constantly partake in teacher research--reflecting on and gathering information from the classroom and students that can inform her practice. If an educator’s job is to equip students with skills and knowledge and the desire to achieve a variety of goals, it is essential then that we model for our students that teaching like any career in life is progressive and to better yourself, you must always be willing to evaluate, reflect, and change in order to continually strive to be the best possible version of yourself. Teacher research itself embodies this idea for it has no definitive answers but instead locates itself in the comfort of the unknown and the question, forever progressing and never fixed.
My inquiry question--what does engagement look like in a full-class discussion--feels unanswered but at the same time explored extensively. The initial question has led me to many more questions as well as theories about learning and education in general. Originally, I was frustrated by this outcome. I wanted to solve the problem or find the perfect answer to my question. Through this journey, though, I have found that there is no singular answer to any best practice in teaching. There are some things that tend to work well with one group of students and not with another. There are never blanket solutions for engaging, captivating, and motivating all students simply because each student is an individual with different strengths, interests, dislikes, and goals. While this idea can be overwhelming, it is also exciting and what keeps teaching a dynamic rather than a static endeavor. Teachers must always ask questions which lead to new conclusions which lead to new questions. The reflective process is cyclical and unending. An inquiry is simply an entrance point into a world of questions, continually evolving, developing, and compounding on each other. With these new insights, I feel that the question--how can I generate student engagement in my English classes--serves as a better inquiry question that I hope will guide my practice and theories about education for years to come.
In every reflection on teaching and learning that I have completed from the beginning of this program, I have been drawn and captivated by a Paolo Friere quote, which I simply could not leave out of my final conclusions for the year and I hope will continue to inform my practice throughout my career. Friere (2011) stated, a requirement of “[progressive] teachers is that they [recognize] that we are always becoming, because we just never are” (as cited in Wink, 2011, p. 103). This quote is essential to me in my perception of myself as an educator and teacher researcher. The day that I stop evolving and reflecting and "becoming" as a teacher is the day that I cease to be a teacher, for progress and best practices require constant change and growth. To grow means to change and without growth, an educator becomes ineffective. Growing as an educator means to constantly partake in teacher research--reflecting on and gathering information from the classroom and students that can inform her practice. If an educator’s job is to equip students with skills and knowledge and the desire to achieve a variety of goals, it is essential then that we model for our students that teaching like any career in life is progressive and to better yourself, you must always be willing to evaluate, reflect, and change in order to continually strive to be the best possible version of yourself. Teacher research itself embodies this idea for it has no definitive answers but instead locates itself in the comfort of the unknown and the question, forever progressing and never fixed.