ERIC Number: EJ994413
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-4056
EISSN: N/A
Teacher as Researcher: Prioritizing Voices in Teacher Research--Learning to Listen to My Students' Voices over My Own
Lilja, Emily
Childhood Education, v88 n6 p391-393 2012
Initially, the author began her teacher inquiry project by focusing on the superhero play she had been observing in her classroom and on her concerns about how it might be impacting the classroom community. Through an ongoing process of self-reflection and reading research, she was able to open herself up to interacting and engaging with the children in her class within the context of their play and the topics that were of interest to them. The process was not only about narrowing and focusing her research; it also encouraged her to reflect on her own beliefs and preferences as a teacher. The process brought to light her own discomfort with young children's aggressive superhero play (especially play that incorporates violent themes) and her desire to shift this play toward something less aggressive. She came to the realization that her students were engaging with certain concepts and ideas for a reason. In order to support her students' process and make meaning from these concepts, she had to be open to hearing their voices tell her, through their play, what was important to them. By learning to listen to her students, she could help them create that community of learners and players she so valued, one based on their mutual interest in exploring the themes relevant to her students.
Descriptors: Teacher Researchers, Play, Reading Research, Transformative Learning, Reflective Teaching, Teaching Methods, Teaching Models, Teacher Effectiveness, Aptitude Treatment Interaction, Interaction Process Analysis, Classroom Environment, Classroom Research, Classroom Techniques, Student Attitudes, Student Behavior, Educational Practices
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A