3. Inquiry-mindedness is a way of thinking
Inquiry-mindedness is a way of thinking at Mangere Central School.
Teachers' inquiries are collaborative which allows them to draw on the expertise of others in their team and across the school. New learning strategies are co-constructed and teachers develop a shared understanding about the required interventions, level of urgency and timelines to make the difference for learners. This is when rich accountability steps in.
Teachers do not feel personally threatened by under-achievement. They are committed to learning from each other, sharing what works, and building new knowledge.
Teacher inquiries are focused and target professional learning. The inquiry process is organic with leaders using the school's intranet to share curriculum resources, readings, research, and tools that will underpin the pedagogical growth of middle leaders as they lead their teams. Teachers record their learning journey evidence in ways that suit them, including through online portfolios.
Reflective questions
- What conditions enable teachers to have robust dialogue about their students’ needs and their own professional needs? What possible challenges could surface?
- Leaders and teachers at the school created prompts (see section 5) to improve the quality of their talk about learning and teaching. How do you rate the quality of your talk? What is it like during staff meetings, team meetings, leadership meetings or casual conversations?
- Twice a term teachers and leaders at the school work in ‘organic’ needs-based groups to utilise the expertise that already exists in the school. What opportunities do your teachers and leaders have to share and develop their existing knowledge, ideas and resources?
