INSTRUCTIONAL INQUIRY (sample)
Engage together in challenges (problems) of practice so that understanding of those challenges grows deeper and is more unified.
Through investigations, proposed solutions emerge that are then tested to see if they help… Through such a repeated process,
practice grows more sophisticated and powerful… (Katz & Dack, 2013, adapted from Supovitz, 2006)
Complete a plan for each grouping or category of greatest student learning needs that has emerged from the review of student
work. Use neutral, exploratory language.
Area Of Student Learning
Need
Teacher Learning Need(s) related to
Students
Inquiry Question:
How do I…
Focus on Instructional Core
Teacher:J Cross
Student: Gr. 1
Content:
Help students use comprehensive literacy strategies to improve their problem solving in order to
What’s the INSTRUCTIONAL build confidence and attempt a task independently in a variety of curriculum areas?
LEARNING and Why?
Why?
I need students to be able to solve certain problems order for for me to conference and help 1:1, I
need
Working Hypothesis/ Global Theory of Action: (What do you think it will take to move forward i.e. what’s “the next best move”…
IF I do this, THEN this should happen)
If I model a range of strategies and co-create anchor charts for tackling unfamiliar words in their
writing then students will attempt to use these strategies more independently.
PLAN – ACT – ACCESS – REFLECT … a 4-6 week cycle of inquiry
My Next Best Move
(What will I do next
instructionally?)
-explicitly modeling each
strategy
-practice with each individual
strategy (tasks & games)
-co-create a list or anchor
chart of the strategies
-model in my writing lessons
how to choose a strategy to
use independently
Success Criteria
(What will success for that
“move” look like?)
-students spelling popcorn
words and using classroom
vocabulary
-students using sound boxes
or elastics to stretch the
words
-less teacher questions and
interruptions
Evidence – Impact
(Where will I look to
determine the success of my
move? What is the student
work supporting this?)
-look for correctly spelled
popcorn words and classroom
vocabulary in student written
work
-look for students using sound
boxes in their written work
-use of tally counter for less
teacher interruption and
questions
-number of foamies given out
for students using strategies
Reflection
(What did I learn from the
move?)