The Spiral of Inquiry Playbook is a powerful tool for educators to engage in a process of inquiry and continuous improvement. The Scanning phase is the first step, it includes collecting data from plenty of sources and coming up with lots of questions to center an inquiry around. I went back and forth about what my inquiry could be about but finally settled on something it should be about. It took me some time but after spending two consecutive days in the same classroom, something stood out to me. A question I wanted to focus on more than others. How do you develop teacher presence?
What even is teacher presence anyways?
Craig L. Bouvier, PhD, states in his article Teacher Presence: Invaluable or Overrated? that, “teacher presence is an intentional choice to engage students beyond your teaching.” It refers to the ability of an educator to create a positive and engaging learning environment that facilitates student learning and achievement.
[ID Begin: A photo of Molly standing in the front corner of a classroom. The wall is decorated with a student-created mural of Prince George. ID End.]
It involves creating a sense of community and building strong relationships with students, as well as setting clear expectations, providing feedback, and facilitating effective communication. Teacher presence is essential for effective teaching and has a significant impact on student engagement and achievement.
Moving forward into the next steps of my inquiry, I want to explore the how now that I know the what.
How will I create a sense of community? How will I know if/when development is occurring and how can I facilitate further development and learning?
Teacher Presence: Invaluable or Overrated? Article here