Teacher Leadership Opportunities

Teachers are encouraged to create their own book studies. The CRTC will pay a book study leader to create content and lead the book study. The content created using CRTC funds will become the property of the CRTC and maybe used to support other book studies.

Teachers interested in developing the content and leading a book study should apply here

The Catskill Regional Teacher Center runs many subject-specific networks. These networks are run by teachers for teachers and provide opportunities for teachers to share ideas, concerns, and resources. The networks are open to teachers of any subject or grade levels.

Teachers interested in leading a network should apply here

ACTION RESEARCH Q AND A

What is Action Research?

Action Research projects originate in the classroom and are based upon real and relevant classroom concerns. It is a systematic inquiry usually undertaken by two or more teachers. The process includes gathering information related to an identified classroom problem to gain insight, developing practices to deal with the problem and effecting a change to produce positive results.

Action Research engages teachers in a four-step process, namely to:

1. Identify an area of focus

2. Collect data

3. Analyze and interpret data

4. Develop a plan of action

Why do it?

A review of recent literature about action research provides the following rationale for action research:

1. Everybody needs professional growth opportunities

2. Action research encourages teachers to be continuous learners

3. Provides teachers with an opportunity to assume responsibility for their own professional growth

4. People need and want information related to successful teaching and their own performance

5. Collaboration enriches professional development

There is a gap that continues to exist between research and practice in the field of education. Action research informs teaching and is persuasive because teachers are invested in the legitimacy of the process and the possible impact of interventions derived from action research on student outcomes. In doing action research, teachers have developed solutions to their problems emphasizing their expertise in the classroom. They become more reflective about their instruction and assume responsibility for developing their own knowledge and understanding rather than relying on an expert of authority figure.

Who Does Action Research?

The Action Research Project brings together a person knowledgeable about research and classroom teachers in the application of research to issues, problems, and questions in a classroom. Characteristically, action research is used to improve school practices, with local application, with results that offer immediate answers to real live classroom problems. (Note: “problem” in this sense refers to a query, question, or dilemma, not to a psychological or personal problem).

The professionals who will use or benefit are involved together in the planning of the study, data collection, and interpretation of the results.

Professionals who will use the results from Action Research are involved together in the planning and designing of the project. Action Research projects bring together not only classroom practitioners but often may involve a person (university) knowledgeable about research and who has an interest in the specific research issue. The results of action research should be shared with others. Additional insight and satisfaction is gained by teacher-researchers when they share their work with other members of the teaching profession. Sharing the results could have the effect of fueling similar behavior among other teachers, stimulating professional development, and improving the relationship between research and practice. Applicants will be required to describe how they intend to share results of the results of their research with colleagues.

Click here for the RFP (Request for Proposals)