Final Reflections On Action Research

The final hours are upon us and the action research blueprint is complete.  I am well satisfied with my chosen inquiry dealing with the “Consequences of Classroom Referrals and How They Affect Student Achievement”.  One troubling reflection or perhaps question that has been a concern is the following:  Am I following this wondering for the completion of course work or is it for the purpose of actually following a passion and conviction?  To answer that question is rather difficult.  I asked myself some reflective questions.  Was this issue a concern for me before the introduction to EDU 5311?  And, would I have ignited it on my own without the influence of a course requirement? The honest answers to both questions are Yes to the first and a reluctant but honest No to the second.   With this said, I would also like to point out that great changes often happen due to a series of events.  Perhaps this could be a perfect example.

The course Professors, Dr. Arterbury and Dr. Jenkins, has been terrific leaders throughout this endeavor.  Their understanding style of lecture motivated me to really do some looking inside the proverbial mirror while trying to develop understanding about my plan.  Dr. Jenkins and the late evening video conferences were something to look forward to as we discussed our course work and even to a small extent Odessa Permian and MOJO football.  Diane Mason also helped tremendously by acting as our moderator and coach and showing her patience with our frustrations.

The assignments and activities for our course were rigorous, but fulfilling.  Perhaps I put more work in them than was needed.  I realize that I can be a tad over winded at times and tend to ramble.  It is something that I am working on!  However, at the end of each week, I felt very enthused and anxious to share my work with my colleagues.  This might perhaps sound a bit silly, but the completion of the assignments gave me a sense of pride. I only wish that I could convey this intrinsic emotion to my students.

The forums were perhaps my most favorite times of the week.  I really enjoyed the sharing of action plans and thoughts between my colleagues.  The tone was always very positive and professional.  I was able to piggy back several ideas from my classmates and implement them for the improvement to my own plan.  The forums for me provided a private arena in which to share thoughts.  I preferred this venue over the world wide audience of our “Blog Spots”.  I find myself on the Blog talking very generally and not very specific.  However, the Blog reaches such a huge audience of readers when compared to the Forums.  This could prove to be very advantageous for an action researcher as we gather data and information from many sources. 

I would like to introduce to you one very influential and true confident in this new direction with my education.  Her name is Elaine Stribling and she is my site supervisor. Without her direction and friendship, I would be a lost lamb in a big pasture.  Mrs. Stribling is an accomplished administrator that I have been privileged to work alongside for 15 years and counting.  We both share the same educational philosophies and consequently have created a dream team of vision. 

Finally, while stopping this writing and reflecting a few minutes ago, I came to realize that I do have the passion for making education and students a top priority. This is not only my current job but is starting to become an obligation that I am pleased to fulfill.  The action research issues will be a steady focus for the next several months if not years. I actually am not convinced that one’s action research ever comes to a completion as one issue revolves into another and the cycle continues and exponentially grows.