Shortreed Staff Inquiry Questions 2014-15

Langley School District has initiated a new way for school staff to meet and collaborate. Collaboration mornings are the days our students arrive for a 10am start. Each staff member has designed an inquiry question – something they want to find out about…something that will impact learning positively. Once individual questions had been formed, like minded inquiries were combined allowing for a collaborative approach to learning.

Here are our questions (January 2015):

1. How to learn more about speech, articulation and implementing R&R so as to benefit all students we work with?
2. How can small group/Guided Math instruction improve student achievement in Math?
   How can the use of technology support struggling math learners in a small group instruction?
   Can having math games once a week improve student achievement?
3. What after-school programs would benefit our students?
4. How can we better engage our students in deeper conversations and create deeper connections to what being Aboriginal means in today’s world for today’s Aboriginal students?
5. Will doing ‘Do the Math’ Number Core with Grade 2 students help develop solid numeracy skills?
6. Can ‘Do the Math’ Number Core along with a focus on number sense make a long term difference in our students math achievement?
7. How can we use guided math to support our Kindergarten learners?
8. Given the resources we have, how can we decrease the number of students requiring pull-out support? (Effectively inverting the pyramid of support back onto its solid foundation).
9. How can we best lead the creation of a collaborative learning environment so that the essence/culture of Shortreed becomes a place where staff and students are seen as learners (‘At Shortreed we are all learners’)?
10. How can I be more effective as a counsellor with the limited time I have: As a group of school counsellors, we’ve been working on priorities and how to work with students more effectively given the huge pressures placed on them. There is a lot of interest in focusing on non-verbal therapy (for example sand tray therapy) as well as trauma informed practice. The conversations and sharing of skills and resources has been extremely valuable for the team.