Action Inquiry in Action

I think that action research is a breath of fresh air. When I hear the work research I often cringe like I'm sure many others do. I think of note cards, citations, and double spaced papers. So often we read books and articles, we listen to speakers, and attend seminars. How often do we use our own experiences to learn? Our buildings are filled with teachers, students, and staff that we can learn from daily. I learned that it is very important to set time for action inquiry just like you set time for every other task as an administrator. Action research is a very practical form of administrator professional growth. It allows a principal to reflect on his/her own practices and helps create a better understanding of the school. My favorite thing about action research is that, by nature, it is interactive and direct. It is not full of long words and meaningless statistics. It relates directly to the staff, students, and teachers of that school, at that time. It is ongoing and constantly evolving. Another key aspect of action inquiry is modeling. Principals always ask their teachers to model for the students. Action research gives principals the opportunity to model for their staff and students. This allows the principal to lead by example and show their school that you are never finished learning. I think that I could use action research to help grow and connect to my campus. I can take concerns about my campus learn ways in which I can help facilitate change to lead a greater degree of student learning.