MY ACTION PLAN

GOAL:

To build positive congenial and collegial relationships with all teachers on campus as the Instructional Coach that will positively impact both teacher and student success.

ACTION STEP 1:

Meet with each teacher one-on-one; introduce myself personally and with personal Power Point along with questionnaire about themselves (including personal preferences, learning styles, & drive to teach) so I can begin to meet their needs through differentiation.

PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE:

Instructional Coach(ME)

K - 5th GradeTeachers

Campus faculty members

TIMELINE:

Aug 9th - Aug 20th 2010

NEEDED RESOURCES:

Personal Power Point about ME!

Teacher Questionnaire

Time to meet one-on-one w/ each classroom teacher

Linda - Lead IC

Meditation Binder w/ page dedicated to each teacher

EVALUATION:

All questionnaires returned to me by Aug. 20th

Use Infinity Tool to categorize teacher needs (David Langford)

Use Infinity Tool to categorize learning styles / personal preferences

Create emotional connections through information received

Reflections - Meditation Binder

ACTION STEP 2:
Attend all grade level and PLC meetings; take field notes to record group dynamics and personality traits.

PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE:

Instructional Coach (ME)

TIMELINE:

Aug. 23rd - Oct. 29th 2010

NEEDED RESOURCES:

Various field note-taking methods/templates.

Meditation Binder

Time for attending PLCs and grade level meetings.

K - 5th Grade Teachers

EVALUATION:

Completed notes / templates

Grade level meeting & PLC agendas.

Interpretation of personality dynamics based upon group interactions to best determine ways to approach teachers.

Reflections in Meditation Binder

ACTION STEP 3:

Create and submit anonymous online survey to question relationships built thus far with teachers.

PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE:

Instructional Coach
(ME)

All teachers K - 5th Grade

Campus faculty members

Principal

Assistant Principal

TIMELINE:

Dec. 10th - email out surveys

Dec. 15th - reminder email sent our

Dec. 17th - surveys due

NEEDED RESOURCES:

Linda - Lead Instructional Coach

Nancy - Exec. Director of Curriculum

Email -notification / link: www.surveymonkey. com

Literature / articles

Meditation Binder

EVALUATION:

Collection of all surveys

Use Infinity Tool to categorize teacher responses (David Langford)

Self-reflections on my strategies & techniques based upon responses

Reflections in Meditation Binder

My Plan

Given that this will be a new year for me on a new campus, in a new district, with a new Instructional Coaching position for the district/campus, I am having many wonderings about what the upcoming year will hold for me, the teachers, the students, and the campus as a whole.
Therefore, the purpose of my action research plan is going to focus on: How can an Instructional Coach best develop both personal and professional relationships with all teachers on campus in order to impact both teacher and student success? Will other ICs who have come from within the district have better results in helping their campuses given that they are coming from within the “inner” circle, or will my fresh ideas gather more followers? What is the best approach in securing teacher buy-in of me and the role I will play in their daily life? How will I reach out to those teachers who refuse to comply with change? In what ways can I assure them that I am there to help them as an equal, not as an administrator?
I feel that the entire school community will benefit from the fruits of my labor, but I will have to work hard to prove myself. Teachers will be the frontline beneficiaries, but the ultimate goal of my efforts will be passed on to their students to ensure academic success. As part of the campus leadership team, I also feel that my presence and relationships will impact the campus culture and morale.
Seeing that this is a new pilot program across the entire district, I am sure I will not be alone with my concerns and foreseen challenges, but in all of the literature I have been reading to prepare for my new endeavor, the importance of establishing strong relationships is repeatedly listed as the number one factor in determining the success of everyone involved.

How Does An Educational Leader Use This Tool?

What is the best plan for the safety of our students during a bomb threat? How many teachers are applying the staff development training they were given this year? To what extent would teachers and students benefit from having a full-time instructional coach on campus?

These are all examples of questions that might be posed by educational leaders everyday. And the best way to find the answers is through action research. Once the question is posed by an individual, it becomes their own and with that comes a passion to seek the answers through networking with other professionals, data collection from a varied number of resources, analysis through shared professional relationships, active change based on the findings, and self reflection on the level of accomplishment.

It's a tool that allows for unique situations to turn into unique solutions!

What Is Action Research Anyway?

Action research...What is it? Who does it? Why is it useful? The way I see it is as a hands-on, personal quest for a solution to a problem specific an administrator, their campus, a classroom, or any of the stakeholders engaged in the school's life may have at any given time. In essence, it is about slaying the dragons that are holding others back - be it teachers, parents, students, achievement, or even ourselves as leaders.

The action research process begins with a question, moves on to information collecting and fact finding, proceeds to data analysis of the facts discovered, and then requires a change in the current practice based on these findings. Of course, when all is said and done, we must ensure that the final step is taken to share the information with the others involved in the situation and gather feedback in order to reflect on what has taken place.

Leaders who take on this type of action research play a more active role in the inquiry process and this ownership of the question brings with it a passion that allows for more probable implementation of the found solutions. It also incorporates instinctual collaboration, relationship building, and peer support to get to the bottom of a problem in order to come out on top of it - creating a meaningful and effective change to occur.