Action research puts mettle to my meddling.

  I am constantly changing how things are done in my classroom and influencing change in my school.  I honestly want the best for my students but almost all of my changes are based on intuition.  Intuition is good for on the spot adjustments but schools are more and more data driven each year.  When the day is done, or the school year rather, administrators, parents, and nearly all stake holders want to see results…on paper. 

            Action research is the intentional questioning of processes in order to make needed changes.  The use of professional publications, data collection, and reflection are all integral parts of the process designed to streamline the changes.   Action research can be used to enhance the functionality of managerial practices, teaching practices, or student protocol.  Any part of the school can be benefitted from accurate action research.

            Reflection is a strong suit for me.  At least three times each year I make serious efforts to reflect on my current teaching practices in and out of my classroom.  I enjoy the process of professionalizing my teaching and becoming more effective.  Where I typically break down in the process of real action research is in the areas of data collection and analysis.  I am hoping that through the course of this current project I will get a better understanding of gathering empirical evidence before, during, and after a change, documenting the evidence, and presenting it in a format accessible to stakeholders.