Notes for our Tuesday evening session on 18^th October 4.30-7.00 1WN 3.8

I left our session last Tuesday most energised by your values and your descriptions of what you were working on to help your pupils improve their learning. Let's begin next Tuesday's session with experiences from the week you want to share. Then let's check in with your (response) partners to talk about what you have been doing in relation to your ideas at the end of yesterday's session.

Here is note that I checked with Nathalie is OK to share about her enquiry. Really pleased that the writing is underway:

My initial thought was that I wanted to do something involved with children with English as an additional language (EAL) particularly because we have a high proportion within our school.  After focusing on children with EAL in my class I noticed that, although they speak English and do not have any particular Special Educational Needs (SEN), they are struggling with their learning (there seems to be little or no progress made even with focused support).  This led me to think about what is stopping their progress and how I can help them.  While observing the children with EAL in my class, I noticed that they were much quieter and less willing to participate in dialogue than the rest of the class; their social skills are also less developed.

I have decided that my first course of action is to start developing our very fragile relationship.  I anticipate doing this by allowing and facilitating opportunities for us to interact in a situation where they will feel comfortable, therefore enabling us to build on the level of trust.  The best way to begin this is by playing games together as a group. They will also be encouraged to video the rest of the children and me, and, I hope, this will result in them taking ownership of what is happening.

Nathalie has included an action reflection cycle so neatly in what she has written. There is a clear expression of concern, an imagined possibility of what might improve matters (an action plan) a commitment to action and an indication of the data that will be needed to make a judgement on the effectiveness of the actions.

Nathalie has already acted on her intentions, had a completely unexpected result, and is now thinking about what it means.

In my response to Nathalie I wrote:

"I think you will find that the children will be encouraged to talk and become more involved in their own learning as they chat with each other and you about the video. If the video can include you I think you will find that your pleasure and delight in being with the children will also be part of their acknowledgement of your influence in their learning."

What I think energized me from our conversations last night was the way you all expressed what really matters to you. Claire, let's see if we can get closer to understanding those qualities that you were just beginning to 'glimpse' and that you were hoping could be brought into the foreground of everyone's experience in the class. Meg – looking forward very much to hearing how you are getting on with your enquiry. I think the educational significance of creating a security about touch is much needed in education. Nina – if you feel like it I think we'd enjoy hearing some of your story about the past experiences that you know have influenced your values as an educator. If you feel OK about doing this I think it will help me to show what I mean by everyone's educational influence in their own learning. There seemed to be a resonance between James' focus on the educational significance of story and your own.

Vic and Richard – it is clear to me that you are already master educators and that it is important to share the embodied knowledge in what you are doing. The educational enquiry is a maximum of 4,500 words and I think you could probably write a complete draft of an enquiry in a few hours drawing on your knowledge of what you are doing as you create and implement the new curriculum with some appreciation of the importance of context and a creative space to explore your passions and ideas.

Ailsa – I did relate to what you were saying about the importance of expressing the flow of spiritual energy in what you are doing. Let's see if we can find ways of representing and communicating the educational influence of these expressions in our own learning and in the learning of our pupils and students. I'm working on this with Marie. I don't want to overload you with inappropriate reading but the draft keynote I'm giving on the 10^th Nov. to the Act, Reflect, Revise conference in Ontario, shows my own thinking about how we might represent and communicate the meanings and educational influence of the flow of spiritual energy values and understandings. This is at:

http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/monday/arrkey05dr1.htm

I think Robyn has already demonstrated in her thesis the importance of such communications in her work as a health visitor on relationships of alongsideness. Let's chat about this next Tuesday and do bring anything along that you want to share. Ros & Ed & anyone I've missed– you too.

What I also thought I'd bring to the session are those books we browsed through, together with some others that you could borrow if you wanted to.

Really pleased about the access and reading of some of the teacher-researcher accounts from:

http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw/mastermod.shtml

I know just how much effort went into Patricia Kelly's enquiry on How do I understand my values of humanity in the classroom?: an educational enquiry and into Victoria Kennedy's Educational Enquiry, Why is inclusionality so important to me? Ticking the Inclusionality box.

I'll copy this note to both Patricia and Victoria at John Bentley School to let them know how much we've appreciated their enquiries.

You are all already expressing, in what you are doing and in who you are, most of the embodied knowledge that will form your educational enquiry. So, do please see if you can now enjoy some free-flowing writing that taps into your values and what are doing. Bring along whatever you want to share next Tuesday. What I'd also like to hear in our conversations, or see in your writings, are ideas that you have found interesting/useful/exciting and that you bring into your understanding of what you are doing.

Love Jack.