This year, I made a commitment to really learning about inquiry. I used to think that I used inquiry in the classroom, but then over the summer, I read more about this topic, and I realized that I was wrong. So I was committed to making a change! There were many reasons that I wanted to make this change:

• Our new Social Studies Curriculum Document just came out, and inquiry was a big focus.
• The books I read said that inquiry helps develop “thinking skills,” and this was an area of need at our school, as identified through our EQAO test results.
• The books I read said that inquiry helps students achieve better scores on standardized tests (even if they’re not used to a testing environment) because they’ve learned how to think. (I started the year teaching a Grade 5/6 class, and I really wanted to see if this was true, as my Grade 6 students would be writing a standardized test this year. As a Grade 5 teacher now, I’ll have to wait until next year to find out.)

All year long, I’ve been looking at more ways to use inquiry in the classroom. I started doing so with Science and Social Studies, but now I’ve incorporated inquiry into all subject areas. I’ve even been fortunate to have two wonderful student teachers this year that have embraced inquiry, and looked at more ways to develop thinking skills in students.

And that’s what it really comes down to: the thinking. I have a confession to make: I’m not sure that I really taught students to truly “think” until this year. This is hard to say because up until today, I probably would have argued differently. So what caused my aha moment? 

I actually had a couple of them today. It started during Social Studies, as my students were finishing their media texts for their election campaigns. Throughout the process, my student teacher and I were sitting down, talking to the groups, asking them questions, previewing their work, and asking them more questions. It was amazing to see the number of students that could answer all of our questions, regardless of how hard we made them. Even better though, this may have been the first time ever that I didn’t get an “I don’t know answer.” Students took thinking time. They explained their reasons. They gave logical explanations. They all attempted to answer all questions, and they were all willing to problem solve, even when the task was a difficult one.

And then it was time for math. Students are working on this Year-End Field Trip Problem, and a couple of groups picked a location that would only accommodate about 1/3 of our students. They needed a trip for all 90 Grade 5’s, so what were they going to do? I spoke to one group, and they figured out a possible solution, but then I thought that I’d mention the problem to the rest of the class at the end of math. I thought that the groups might need support to figure out solutions. When I told the students the problem, I was amazed by the answers: they suggested at least four different options that would all work (and many of them I hadn’t even considered). And that’s when I understood that inquiry really has taught the students how to think. In the past, students would have struggled with developing their own solutions to these Social Studies and Math problems. They would have given up when answering some of the questions, and they would have just looked for a model to use as a guide for other solutions. We’re now getting to the point that all of the students have really learned how to think.

Don’t get me wrong: developing thinking skills and asking good questions are areas that I will continue to work on throughout the year. But I’m seeing success, and that’s a great thing! What I love even more is that these positive changes in my teaching practices and in the skills of my students didn’t come from people telling me (or them) what to do.

• These changes came about by me watching others (i.e., my principal, Paul, and vice principal, Kristi) asking these hard questions to my class and getting students to think.
• These changes came about from meaningful conversations with colleagues and administrators (and some hard questions for me this time). A special “thank you” to my principal, Paul, vice principal, Kristi, and good friend and colleague, Jo-Ann, that have been these “critical friends” along the way.
• These changes came about from numerous Twitter chats/discussions on inquiry, with incredible K-8 educators.
• These changes came about from professional blog posts on inquiry. The discussion in the comments have helped bring about change.

And now I need to continue to look at student strengths and needs, scaffold when necessary, and continue to ask these hard questions that get students to think and problem solve even more than before. I need to continue to dialogue with educators and administrators — both online and face-to-face — that push my own thinking, and help me do even more for my students. Today, I had those “light bulb moments,” where I really saw what student thinking looks like, and I want my students to continue to think in these incredible ways.

How do you develop thinking skills in your students? What connection have you seen between “thinking” and “student achievement?” I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Aviva