The biggest change in my teaching has come in the way I ask and answer questions. In 1977 during my first year of teaching, when I began to question the use of my basal reading series– Lippincott’s Pat sat on a mat version of reading – no one at my small rural school knew how to answer my questions. When I wondered how the publishers knew Tuesday was the day I should teach cause and effect and review long e, everyone stared at me blankly. Just follow the book! Don’t ask questions! With my questions in danger of drying up, I tried once more. Is there another way to help my kids become better writers besides teaching them grammar? Someone mentioned The Iowa Writing Project, and it was there I learned about NCTE.
Today I know that someone somewhere in the world is exploring the same questions as I am and because of NCTE and the help of technology, I can explore my questions easily and make new connections with teachers around the world.
Greenville, South Carolina
Planning for Inquiry: It's Not an Oxymoron!
Author: Diane Parker
Diane Parker shows elementary-level teachers and teacher educators how to get an inquiry-based curriculum started, how to keep it going, and how to do so while remaining accountable to mandated curricula, standards, and programs.