Stock, ch. 3 and Rex & Schiller, ch. 1-5

Teacher Research as Storytelling

Stock discussed the importance of teacher research but recognized that the reason that it is not taken seriously is because of the nature of the research itself.  "One of the reasons that teachers' research has not been taken as seriously as I would argue it should be is that teachers customarily conduct and report research in anecdotal forms..." (Stock p. 98).  This quote stuck with me because as educators we recognize that each student is an individual and not every class or every student's experience can be applied to others.  Due to this, we tell stories that occurred in our practice, and these stories from our past experience can help us or our colleagues in future experiences.  These stories and anecdotes that we tell help us not only explain a situation that other teachers could experience, but also describe the context and circumstances surrounding the situation in order to give a full picture and not expect the same results.

When Stock discusses the practice of education, he states that, "the practice of education must begin and end in ordinary language and experience." (Stock, p. 101)  He elaborates on this by explaining that the exchanges and interactions between students need to be taken into account in order to influence teaching practice.  It is because of this that teacher research is conducted differently than other forms of research.  The discussions, conversations, and interactions that teachers have with students and vice versa are more crucial than any objective research that can be conducted.  This helped me understand the purpose of teacher research and frame it in a way that makes more sense.   Not having to ignore the human factor of teaching is crucial to completing this class.  One of my biggest concerns was that I would have to be strictly analytical and I was struggling with how to do that, but this is no longer a concern. 

Schiller Ch. 1-5

I found while reading the first chapter that the conversation with middle school colleagues was very reminiscent of conversations that I have overheard in my experience, and sometimes participated in.  The idea that professional development should come second and dealing with negative behaviors and discipline first is not uncommon.  No matter how tempting it is to be involved in this mindset, as Shiller explains, "by shifting the lens from student behaviors to teacher actions, more solutions appeared." (Schiller, p. 5).  This is why I want to focus on behavior issues in my classroom.  I realize that I am not always addressing behavior in a positive or productive way, and hopefully the research project will bring these issues to light and result in real change.