1. Stacia M. Stribling, Ph.D. George Mason University
Teacher Inquiry
Stacia M. Stribling, Ph.D.
George Mason University

2. Teaching involves a search for meaning in the world
Teaching involves a search for meaning in the world. Teaching is a life project, a calling, a vocation that is an organizing center of all other activities. Teaching is past and future as well as present, it is background as well as foreground, it is depth as well as surface. Teaching is pain and humor, joy and anger, dreariness and epiphany. Teaching is world building, it is architecture and design, it is purpose and moral enterprise. Teaching is a way of being in the world that breaks through the boundaries of the traditional job and in the process redefines all life and teaching itself.
—William Ayers

3. Teacher Inquiry as a Habit of Mind
How do you know that? (What’s the evidence?)
Who said it and why? (Whose viewpoint is it?)
What led to it, what else happened?
4. What if, supposing that…? (Hypothesize)
5. Why does it matter? (Who cares and why?)

4. Teacher Researcher (Inquirer)
Asks questions about teaching and learning
Collects information about students
Often feels overwhelmed or isolated
Asks intentional questions about teaching and learning
Organizes and collects information
Focuses on a specific area of inquiry
Engages in reflection
Benefits from ongoing collaboration and support of critical friends
Goal: Facilitates teaching and learning and maximizes student potential (Adapted from Michelle Crabill and Gail V. Ritchie)

5. Intentional Questions
A problem from your classroom
A puzzle or dilemma about the learning of a particular student or group of students
A question you have about your teaching
A situation that has arisen in your classroom
How to develop and support particular learning qualities

6. Sample Questions…
Dilemma: How am I going to cope with the wide discrepancy in reading levels in my classroom?
Focus on teacher action: What can I do to help Johnnie learn to read?
Consider an hypothesis or strategy to try: What happens when I give Johnnie reading materials appropriate to his reading level and interests?

7. More Questions… Dilemma: Why are these kids so noisy and frenzied?
Focus on teacher action: What can I do about the chaos in my classroom (noise, movement, off-task behavior, lack of attention )?
Consider an hypothesis or strategy to try : What happens when I use children’s energy and need to be social as an element of my classroom pedagogy using cooperative learning, literature circles, ?

8. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TEACHER INQUIRY
ASSESS
need for a change or action
(Data Collection & Analysis)
IMPLEMENT
the change or action
(Try out new strategies) S R A
STUDY
the results
(Data Collection & Analysis) I S R A
RETHINK
the need, the change, and the results
(Reflection & Dialogue) I A
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TEACHER INQUIRY

9. Resources Mills Teacher Scholars: http://millsscholars.org/
George Mason University Teacher Research:
National Writing Project:
Networks: An On-Line Journal for Teacher Research: