2017 Inquiry Update

Professional accountability in amongst self-perpetuated chaos. That might be a slight exaggeration. But, the decision to split up teachers whilst we had mixed the levels and disciplines of our classes is from an outsiders perspective, just confusing. And it leaves us teachers open to lose track of students and not spread attention equally and effectively.

The inquiry question is: Can teacher collaboration improve student achievement in senior art? 

The use of google sheets to track the students and keep ourselves in check. However, it is not us two yet collaborating. it effectively tracks our thoughts as we check through with each student and hopefully provides clear feedback for students. But, we are not yet collaborating in the true sense of the word.

I like how we are using it, as it has changed since we started with it.

There are some barriers to doing that effectively:

- Cindy is part time, though at 16 hours, her life should not revolve around being at school when I feel like talking about this!
- Four of her hours a week are on the other side of the school, jokingly referred to as Siberia (rebuild logistics), timeliness to classes following a Siberian lesson is costing us.
- Home time for both of us is precious and necessary due to our own circumstances (We don't live at school, nor will we be planning to take this up to solve the issue).
- After school time is stretched across a lot of demands - staff meetings, task forces, learning team meetings...
- I annoyingly use the Art room office as a Dean's office because there isn't space for me elsewhere while the rebuild is on.
- I get caught up with the pastoral side of my job more than I should if I'm balancing things fairly.
- We never will have a timetabled non-contact together... when I'm teaching Cindy is not and vice versa.

There are some solutions to these barriers also (and I am open to others too):

- Working online more effectively. We have done this before, timetabled ourselves to be online at the same time so we can discuss how something is working through 'chat'. but there will be other ways to maximise the actual collaboration that may not require online at the same time.
- Using lunch hours to discuss students progress more frequently... oh fun.
- Being careful to divide my time between my roles and sticking to those time separations. Setting it up in a more timetabled manner.