Teacher Inquiry 2023 Reflection

 

Inquiry Question: Will a focus on spelling conventions foster an environment where word consciousness strengthens connections to the learning?

Outcome 1: Increased awareness of vocabulary

Outcome 2: To approach new learning with confidence

Outcome 3: To understand spelling conventions

Intervention:

• Students to complete spelling test (term 1/ term 4)

• Use steps for consistent spelling tasks online.

• Teacher modeling conventions so students see me modelling what I want to see them doing.

• Create an word consciousness list that is visible.

• Timetable opportunities for word consciousness with specific skills.

• Introduce LS2 to specific designed conventions - teacher lead

• Co-construct conventions lists and follow up activities - Listen to and act upon student voice

• Encourage the use of new vocabulary when discussing familiar words.

• Strengthen vocabulary connections to the area of learning 

• Use visual clues to remember the conventions. 

The darker highlights indicate that I feel I have meet these interventions to a good level, where the lighter highlights show that these interventions needed more consistency or more explicit teaching. I found that I didn't leave enough timetabled lesson time to effectively cover the interventions I was hoping to achieve higher outcomes in.

Teacher Learning:

• Analysis spelling test (T1 to T4) - What has changed as a result of our intervention? What do we still need to do?

• Professional readings to strengthen my connections to research findings.

• Strengthen word consciousness by tabletiming opportunities for students to complete steps tasks.

• Create scaffolds to show spelling conventions in a visual sense.

• Co-construct with the learners a list of conventions

Here I have ticked all the boxes but I feel that I have not ticked them as many times as they needed to be. 

• The testing was successful - my target group either stayed the same or increased their spelling, however they got some words wrong in the T4 test that they got right in the T1 test and vice versa. Maybe going through the test itself after it has been marked will allow the students to see where they are going wrong - sometimes its missing out by 1 letter or 2 letters around the wrong way. 
• When it came to Professional Readings, some of the articles made me more confused than I was in the beginning, they just didn't seem to fit with what and how I was thinking. The outcome of this is the more professional readings I do the more they will align with my thinking and vice versa. 
• Timetabling is something that happened but not always when it was meant to or how long it was meant to.  To change this I need to make sure everything is extremely prepared in both my mind and resources so no time is wasted.
• Co-constructing with the learners was an integral part of my inquiry. Listening to what they had to say and discussing how that would work which was valuable.

Student Learning:

• To attempt to use other vocabulary when writing.

• Revisit and repeat the same spelling test to see if our word consciousness has made a difference.

• To participate in the steps program

• To participate actively in co-constructing a conventions list

• To confidently use new vocabulary in their writing.

• To understand the spelling conventions when writing unknown words.

My target group along with the rest of my students were amazing in taking on new learning. I think the biggest win was the conversations we had about words and how different words can come from words and how in some cases words from other languages even have close to the same sounding/spelling so they could also make that connection.

Measurable Outcomes:

• Increased achievement between time 1/time 2 data 

• Analyse changes in student responses in writing survey

• Understand the spelling conventions.

• Increased engagement in timetabled steps opportunities 

• Increased confidence in using their new knowledge of spelling conventions in their writing.

My target group all increased in their writing and one has significantly increased and I believe that this is from the use of new vocabulary and her willing to show confidence in spelling this new language. Increasing their Steps usage has helped with their understanding of words and how they are used. As their teacher I need to change how to include more structured learning when it comes to the spelling conventions.

I feel the main thing is when I look back on my Teachers Inquiry is to ask for help when things get too overwhelming or when you just don't know where you are going or how you are going to get there.