Action Plan Reflection (Synopsis)

My action research plan focuses on our campus cafeteria and its environment. The students’ behavior and noise level at times seems out of control. At our campus we have had 3 principals in 5 years. In those 5 fives we have had rules and procedures change based on the leadership styles of the current principal. The problem is that with these changes our student’s behavior has not been consistent. Student’s need consistency, and unless a procedure change is made clear to all staff and the new rules are followed by all, implementation of any change will not be effective. These changes are evident in our current student’s behavior in the cafeteria.

 Since I have just begun the plan, I am still reading over literature, scheduling interviews with classroom teachers on the campus, and soon will be analyzing the data from the field notes and surveys. Over summer vacation, I will begin to plot out the future aspects of my research plan. When school begins in August I will began to gather evidence from my data to formulate wondering questions and preparing to interview students on motivational strategies that can be implemented in the cafeteria.

The cafeteria should be a place where students have the opportunity to eat and enjoy their lunch. Proper procedures, rules and expectations should be followed and need to be consistent in order for the environment to be safe and enjoyable. I hope that through this research I can provide the campus with valuable and viable information to use in improving our campus cafeteria.

Revised Action Research Plan

The revisions that were made to my action research plan were slight adjustments to the time frame. After speaking with the principal he wants the plan up and running earlier than planned. We compromised and I adjusted slightly, explaining  that I needed  time to research, survey, collaborate and gather the needed information for the plan to be successful.

Action Planning Template
Goal: How can we motivate student’s to improve their behavior and encourage the staff to be consistent with management, procedures and expectations in the cafeteria?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Observations of cafeteria’s behavior, and procedures and management from staff. Interviews and surveys from students per grade level and cafeteria monitors	Yolanda Thomas	April -May 2013	Current Cafeteria procedures, Field Notes, literature/articles on successful cafeteria procedures Survey’s	Monitor how students are responding to current management, procedures and expectations from the staff. Survey’s
Interpret information from student and staff survey’s to graph results	Yolanda Thomas	May-June 2013	Survey’s	Data analysis using Spreadsheets or, graphs
Reflect and Interview Teachers/Cafeteria staff who have been at the campus for 5 or more years to review past cafeteria procedures	Yolanda Thomas Teachers Paraprofessionals	June 2013	Reflection/ Interviews	Information obtained from the interviews-their expectations, opinions and thoughts
Reflect and meet with principal to discuss findings	Yolanda Thomas Principal	June-July 2013	Reflections	Report and discuss findings to principal
Interview students from each grade level to discuss motivational strategies to use in the cafeteria	Yolanda Thomas Selected Pre-k -5th grade students Principal Site based committee	August – September 2013	Interviews	Compare student responses and discuss with principals and Site base committee suggestions from students
Interview cafeteria monitors to discuss current procedures and expectations Gather their opinions for revisions towards improvements	Yolanda Thomas Paraprofessionals	September 2013	Interviews	Compare paraprofessional findings to begin designing revisions of current procedures and expectations
Meet with site supervisor and site base committee to present findings and gather thoughts. Determine decision and direction of new procedures, expectations from principal	Yolanda Thomas Principal Site Base Committee	September 2013	Field notes, survey’s, and interviews, new cafeteria procedures and expectations	Report and discuss findings of results
Action plan implementation of training cafeteria staff of new procedures, management and expectations to implement by December 2013	Yolanda Thomas Principal Site Base Committee	November 2013	New cafeteria procedures and expectations,	Campus administration will monitor new procedures and expectations for effectiveness Conduct staff and student surveys on new procedures

Action Research Plan- Week 3

Action Planning Template
Goal: How can we motivate student’s to improve their behavior and encourage the staff to be consistent with management, procedures and expectations in the cafeteria?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Setting the Foundation Observations of cafeteria’s behavior, and procedures and management from staff. Interviews and surveys from students per grade level and staff	Yolanda Thomas	April -June 2013	Current Cafeteria procedures, Field Notes, literature/articles on successful cafeteria procedures	Monitor how students are responding to the current management, procedures and expectations from the staff
2. Analyzing Data Interpret information from student and staff survey’s to graph results	Yolanda Thomas	June-August 2013	Survey’s	Data analysis using Spreadsheets or, graphs
3. Developing Deeper Understanding Reflect and Interview Teachers/Cafeteria staff who have been at the campus for 5 or more years to review past cafeteria procedures	Yolanda Thomas Teachers Paraprofessionals	June –August 2013	Reflection/ Interviews	Information obtained from the interviews-their expectations, opinions and thoughts
4. Engaging in Self Reflection Reflect and meet with principal to discuss findings	Yolanda Thomas Principal	May-August 2013	Reflections	Report and discuss findings to principal
5. Exploring Patterns Interview students from each grade level to discuss motivational strategies to use in the cafeteria	Yolanda Thomas Selected pre-k -5th grade students Principal Site based committee	September – October 2013	Interviews	Compare student responses Discuss with principals and Site base committee suggestions from students
6. Determining Direction Interview paraprofessional (cafeteria monitors) to discuss current procedures and expectations Gather their opinions for revisions towards improvements	Yolanda Thomas Paraprofessionals	October-November 2013	Interviews	Compare paraprofessional findings to begin designing revisions of current procedures and expectations
7. Taking Action Meet with site supervisor and site base committee to present findings and gather thoughts. Determine decision and direction of new procedures, expectations from principal	Yolanda Thomas Principal Site Base Committee	August-November 2013	Field notes, survey’s, and interviews, new cafeteria procedures and expectations	Report and discuss findings of results
8. Sustaining Improvement Action plan implementation of training cafeteria staff of new procedures, management and expectations to implement by January 2014	Yolanda Thomas Principal Site Base Committee	November-December 2013	New cafeteria procedures and expectations,	Campus administration will monitor new procedures and expectations for effectiveness Conduct staff and student surveys on new procedures

Action Research Reflection-Week 2

While viewing all three videos from the scholars, I learned valuable information to assist me in conducting an action research. The information that was shared was useful and clarified that when conducting research on any given topic, make sure that first the plan is practicable and second that it is doable.

When I read over the nine areas of wonders for many school leaders for action research plans, I was amazed that I was able to provide ideas for action research plans in the nine areas. After reading over the assigned class textbook, I realized that as a teacher I have had many valuable questions/inquires in majority of the nine areas, but did not know the process or importance of how an action research plan could assist in ways to improve "wondering" topics.

After meeting with my site supervisor to discuss the topics for action research plans, I presented four ideas for plans. We then narrowed it down to two. The action plan that I plan on researching when completed and implemented hopefully will provide a positive environment to our campus cafeteria.  I am looking forward to embarking on this exploration of research, new discoveries, and collaborating with campus staff and students.

Learning About Action Research

What I have learned about Action Research is that it is a process where administrators and teachers can use to grow professionally. It is the process is where a study is implemented to research an issue/ concern or pondering thought to possible produce changes and or improvements in the learning environment. Administrators and teachers can use the action research process to gain answers, set clear goals and collaborate with one another and take action. These changes can produce and provide answers to insightful questions that allows for teams to collaborate, desegregate data and gain new understandings to improve school operations, and invest in research based resources to bring about change in the learning communities. The inquiries/research usually will use or adopt informative literature from the experts in the field to provide a clearer understanding to the study or change. These studies are used to improve professional development, student achievement and allows for personal reflections on individuals professional practice. This allows for teachers and administrators to work together, and make decisions and reflect in the best interest of all stakeholders.  I also learned that reflection is an important aspect of an action research because it allows for meaningful connections or enlightenment to others ideas, feeling or experiences. 

I will be able to use action research in my profession because it will assist me in becoming a deeper thinker when viewing data, findings and facts in my teaching skills, leadership skills and students results. The reflection process will allow me to learn from my own mistakes or from the mistakes or others, through collaboration, data analysis, and questions. This will allow me to make changes as needed and make connections to real life situations that I can use to communicate and share what is in the best interest of students.

 

Educational leaders can use blogs to record their thoughts to pondering questions, collect data and communicate with all stakeholders (staff, students and parents). Educational leaders could share with their faculty, students, parents and community their personal experiences, share by posting works or pictures showing their love for education and receive feedback (positive or negative) from others worldwide. They can also use this as a way to communicate with other educational leaders (local or distant) in a closed forum to begin an action research plan without attending face-to-face meetings. This interaction demonstrates a show of support and can create powerful teamwork among educational leaders.