EDLD 5301 Week 2 Reflection

Thank goodness this week wasn't too bad!  It was a BUSY week for me personally.  My wife, Sarah, gave birth to our first baby boy Thursday of last week. We now have 3 girls and 1 boy, and yes we are done now that Brayden Kam is here!!!  Combine our new baby boy to starting back up at work this week meant very little time for school work.  I coach football and am also the head girls basketball coach at Industrial High School and we started meeting this week, I can't believe that summer is over already.

About the week...the interviews from the school leaders probably benefited me more than anything else. Just listening to professional educators who have actually practiced what we are learning now helps me out a lot more than just reading it in a book. 

Timothy Chargois, of Beaumont ISD gave us some great advice...He said that we never stop learning, and I really agree with this.  I've been teaching and coaching for 10 years now and it was just a good reminder to all of us that we can always get better.

Dr. Kirk Lewis, the superintendent at Pasadena ISD, gave us some important advice as well.  He reminded us to research and use things that are practical and apply them to our own environment.  Good advice for any project we choose.

Blogs and Educational Leaders

Blogs could be a successful means for administrators to communicate with teachers, students, parents, and other community members.  For instance, a principal could post student success stories from the district UIL Meet, an athletic event, or even a band contest.

Action Research Description

Action research is a tool that allows educators to take a "hands on" approach in the school setting.  Instead of bringing in someone from outside the district or attending a conference where a person who has never been to your district is telling you how to run your school or classroom, administrator inquiry allows educators to directly take the initiative and look for positive change. Teachers, principals, and administrators are able to control all variables while moving forward and seeking positive results.  For instance, in a classroom setting a teacher naturally observes students attitudes and behaviors.  They also naturally get feedback and analyze data by collecting sample work and assessments.  After reflecting and putting all of the information together in an action research project, this will show educators not only why something is occurring, but it will also offer them a solution to making their classroom or school a better place.

There are many reasons why principals would use an action research project.  Principals are leaders, and what better way for principals to take the initiative than to lead an action research project?  There are hundreds of different scenarios that principals deal with every year that make themselves ask  this question: Why is this happening and How can we solve it?  Whether it's an issue dealing with low graduation rates, discipline problems, or employee absences, an action research plan could help recognize potential areas for improvement and form a plan for positive change.