Wonderings and Questions

"I wonder...," "I think...," and "What if...," these are what a principal wonders and questions about real life observations and dilemmas that is experienced during this career as a educational leader.
There are nine different related areas of "Passion" that bring about wonderings and questions. These nine passions are as follows:

• Staff Development
• Curriculum Development
• Individual Teacher(s)
• Individual Student(s)
• School Culture/Community
• Leadership
• Management
• School Performance
• Social Justice

Each one of these nine passions overlap and can be researched through an action research to find solutions to these wonderings and questions that are flying around in the brain. An action research should always be aimed at improving student performance. Principals do not have to reinvent the wheel according to Dr. Johnny Briseno, Principal, Rancho Isabella Elementary, Angleton ISD. Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent, Pasadena ISD told us action research projects need to to be what is practical and applies directly to student learning for the district and for the campus environment for three main reasons. These three main reasons are: you will be more interested in it, you will be more focused on the outcomes and students will benefit from practical research than theoretical research. Dr. Timothy Chargois, Director of Research, Planning and Development in Beaumont ISD also stated that action research needs to help increase student performance. His advice to teachers is you never stop learning. If you are green, you are growing but if you are brown, you are dying. Action research project is a learning, changing and reflection process that increases the wisdom and knowledge so that we can become lifelong learners.

Citation: Dana Fichman, Nancy (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Citation: "As per Dr. Arterbury And Dr. Jenkins of the Week 2 video interviews: Dr. Johnny Briseno, Dr. Timothy Chargois, and Dr. Kirk Lewis conference" EDLD 5301 Research-EA1201, July 2010