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Inquiry, Inquiry, Everywhere!


This summer, a group of 3rd - 8th grade teachers joined  me to learn about an inquiry approach to Genre Study as outlined by my favorite people.... Fountas and Pinnell!!  Using this strategy, students discover the elements of a particular genre instead of the teacher telling them.  This makes the learning more meaningful and longer-lasting. Here is a basic rundown of the process teachers take to guide students through the inquiry process in genre study:

  1. The teacher collects many different texts within a certain genre.  For example, if the students are exploring historical fiction, the teacher will find many different historical fiction books or texts - easy, hard, simple language, complex language, different authors and styles, different topics.
  2. Students are immersed in the genre.  Throughout the unit, the teacher reads aloud different historical fiction and students read such books during independent and partner books. 
  3. Students then study to identify what characteristics all of those books had in common.  They think-pair-share then share out.  The teacher facilitates a class discussion and jots noticings on chart paper.  For each characteristic, the class then decides if it is always present or sometimes present.
  4. The class then uses these noticing to create a working definition for historical fiction.  
  5. The teacher thinks about what the students do and do not understand about the features of the genre and designs mini-lessons to teach specific concepts she wants her readers to know. 
  6. As the class continues to read historical fiction, they will go back and reread their working definition of the genre and revise it as necessary.  As they are exposed to more texts, they may gain additional knowledge or change some of their previous thinking.  This should be reflected in their final definition.                                                        
Genre Study, Fountas & Pinnell

I was pleasantly surprised when I began my course work in the Academy for Literacy Coaches at The Ohio State University this fall and I was exposed to using inquiry approach while coaching teachers!  I was immediately intrigued because I knew it would fit with my natural tendencies but wanted to know how I could use it to be more effective.

In a "not-inquiry" coaching session (my own made-up word), the coach may take on a directive and evaluative stance.  After an observation of a lesson, the coach may evaluate the lesson and identify what they want the teacher to work on .  During the debrief session, the coach guides the discussion in order to lead teachers to the tasks to be worked on.

However, here are some things that make the inquiry approach to coaching different:
  • Exploring, not answering, is central to the process.
  • Listing to others and building on responses is necessary.
  • The inquiry stance is uncertain and invitational.   
  • The participants, including the coach, can be genuinely perplexed, wonder about things, and ask questions to which they don't know the answer.
  • Questions can be posed by the coach or the teachers and they are regarded as invitations to inquire. 

The Effective Literacy Coach, Rodgers & Rodgers

In this model, the teacher and coach collaborate to find goals and teaching strategies that would increase the effectiveness of the teaching.  Instead of the coach "telling" the teacher what to do, coach guides the teacher to reflect and helps him identify one or two things to refine. 

In my coursework, one of my assignments has been to record myself using this approach with a teacher.  Mr. Gore, a fourth grade teacher, was kind enough to be my guinea pig.  You can watch me trying it out here.  I am reflecting on my own practice and refining it because I know it is important enough to continue developing.  My own peers at OSU will use the inquiry approach to help me set my own goals and discover strategies to help me along. 

I firmly believe that students gain and retain so much more knowledge when they discover principles for themselves, so I have to believe the same is true for adults.  This is why I'm committed to getting good at this and why I want to help the coaches I work with develop the skill too.  Happy inquiry to us all!

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