Personal inquiries can be somewhat daunting even after teaching them for a while. There is something about being accustomed to planning and writing curricula and delivering it that gives you the confidence of being in charge. Trusting and sharing that responsibility with the learners is scary.
I recall a colleague sharing how she had a student who was obsessed with vines and how she was frustrated and torn between honouring the student’s choice and asking them to choose something worthy of learning.
It has taken me close to 5 years to eventually work out a system that allows for my learners and I to equip ourselves and make a better use of our time.
It takes trust from both the teacher/advisor and learner. This mutual trust comes from a place where we believe that learners are truly interested in learning and are doing their best. With this in mind, we both approach learning at a levelled ground where we have good intentions. In the event that this trust is broken, there are obligations that have to be met. For example, if you waste your time being distracted on youtube, you will have to take some of your personal time to meet the deadline.
Start small. Start with smaller amounts of time and build up until you feel confident. I found that using an hour a week allowed me to experiment and reflect and as we got better at it, we were able to build up to longer periods since we had systems in place.
Asking good questions is one why to ensure the longevity of personal inquiries. When learners formulate questions that are both deep and broad, it allows them to explore further. One of the ways we have done this is to make sure that they have at least a Why, How and What question. The Why helps them to justify their inquiry, the How will help them understand how things work or function and the What will help them explore how things are(form).
Taking action is a big PYP component that we sometimes hold off until exhibition. Unpacking and understanding the meaning of taking action allows for personal inquiries to have a purpose and for students to share their learning. Taking action could vary from changing their mindset to inventing something or a personal lifestyle change. However small it could be, if this learning experience allows them to grow and evolve and find themselves then their personal inquiry is worthy.
Understanding what research could look like. With the information boom and so many new professions emerging, good information can be found in lots of places. A child inquiring into ASMR in Uganda is less likely to find information in the school library but will find valuable ideas off of youtube. Acknowledging that other forms of media can be reliable will give you and your learners more access to information.
Offering workshops depending on student’s needs allows you to focus on the skills that they specifically need and are more likely to use. These workshops could be tailored to what they all need for example how to write critically or how to find reliable websites. As I continue to do this, the learners become better advocates for themselves and become more confident in asking for what they need.
Students as experts. Some students are more knowledgeable about certain things than we are. Making room for those who want to share their expertise is important because it allows them to teach their peers but also form organic collaborations. Their work could be included in the library where their work can be read and even cited in their peer’s work.
Student feedback. The learning is happening to the students, they are on the receiving end. Asking them for their opinion and feedback helps to inform your practice. They give insightful feedback which helps to improve these sessions.
I am taking advantage of this pandemic and exploring the different ways class could be and I hope you do too…
