It all begins with a team

 

A few weeks ago, my dear friend and partner in crime, Jennifer Danner, beautifully crafted our Guided Inquiry journey. We are a small district about 20 minutes outside Columbus, Ohio. We are experts in being handed lemons and creating lemonade. As Jennifer said, I stumbled across the CISSL institute and we were encouraged to attend. Attending CISSL, changed our focus and impacted our teaching and has helped reshape our culture.

When we returned from CISSL, we sat down with our assistant superintendent and superintendent and eagerly explained all we had absorbed and our mission to share with others and our desire to impact learning. After that meeting, it was full speed ahead. A couple of months later, we began our own Professional Development community comprised of more than ten teachers and administrators.

Over the next school year, we were able to purchase everyone in our learning community a copy of Leslie Maniotes, book “Guided Inquiry Design a Framework for Inquiry in Your School.” Our teaching and learning environment became one of questioning. As Jennifer stated, we encouraged our students to question everything. We encouraged our teachers to incorporate inquiry into every possible lesson.

Jennifer and I had always been a team of two; the team expanded. In fact, our superintendent began to refer to us as a cult! It all begins with a team. I have always stressed collaboration among our staff. Inquiry became the glue that held teachers together. Inquiry was and and is still an essential ingredient of collaboration and multidisciplinary projects. Jennifer and I have been trained as new teacher mentors. Our new teachers are immersed in inquiry and we work together as a well oiled machine. Our library has been transformed into a learning center and is literally bursting at the seams.

Last year, our district hired a technology integration specialist. I jumped at the opportunity to offer her an office in the library. Yes, you guessed it. Nicole Schrock is now part of our cult! Nicole works with us daily to incorporate these strategies into her workshops and presentations. As a team, we are impacting students across disciplines and across grade levels. Just this morning, we discussed workshops Nicole is conducting for our district. The focus is blended learning/project based learning. Nicole has asked me to be on hand to offer a mini workshop on inquiry. After all, one can’t effectively teach project based learning without inquiry. Again, the culture in our building and now district has changed.

Dana Wright, Librarian

Jonathan Adler High School

1 Comment

  1. I love that inquiry is the glue for your collaborations- the glue that held people together! I find that when people learn about Guided Inquiry Design together it does generate new bonds in understanding of the process and concepts of GID, the creative energy that comes from that collaboration, the valuing of assets each brings to the team and the eventual joy that comes from the successful implementation or the camaraderie of working on the tough spots together.

    It’s wonderful when GID is the catalyst to larger change that keeps growing! Your school and successes are such a great testament to that. Thanks for taking this week to share your journey with us, Dana.
    Best wishes,
    Leslie Maniotes

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