Section 1: Academic Achievement - National Center for School ...

As a person who always is looking for ways to make my teaching more effective, I believe
that I can always do better. I am not against change, but I firmly believe that kids and their
needs should be considered in any aspect of change. By treating them alike we are doing
them a disservice. There needs to be a balance between having high expectations and
fostering a sense of helpfulness, a sense of belonging, and meaningful participation in their
education. I have learned that I can make kids learn, but I strongly believe, this year more
than any year past, that without attending to all the risk factors I can not create life-long
learners. For me this is the ultimate goal as an educator. There needs to be a balance that was
lost this year in my classroom. Although there was good academic growth I can only wonder
what the results might have been if my students had attained a higher level of engagement, a
sense of helpfulness and been able to connect and participate in a more meaningful way. I
believe the growth potential could be phenomenal!
Step by Step Process
After reflecting on my experience this year, I offer the following recommendations teachers
hoping to conduct their own action research project.
1. Read research until you find an area that really strikes you and that believe can have a
direct affect on your students.
2. Realize the more you learn, the more questions you have.
3. Kids can be a valuable source of data, but it can be a challenge to get that data from them at
times. This is where I relied upon journaling in addition to my surveys and achievement data.
Action Research to Study Homelessness and High Mobility in School Communities 93