Speaker Reflection: Dr. Yendol-Hoppey

Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey is the author of the book A Reflective Educator's Guide to Classroom Research, which is a book I have been reading for this blog. After reading the first four chapters, the discussion excited me greatly. I wanted to meet and hear the author behind so many of the principles I had come to adopt into my own thinking. I was given that chance on October 29, 2015 when Dr. Yendol-Hoppey came to speak to my college on a Thursday morning.

The first thing that grabbed my attention about this discussion was that Dr. Yendol-Hoppey didn't lecture to us and then have a Q & A at the end. She engaged us right from the start by asking us what we thought made a good teacher or what a good teacher did. Many of us answered they had to meet the needs of the students. However, one-third of the audience answered that a good teacher is one that cares and encourages his/her students. Dr. Yendol-Hoppey discussed that this was a good quality within a teacher, but a good teacher does much more than care about his/her students; the teacher reflected upon his/her instruction to better further the education of the students. Teachers should reflect upon their practices, thoughts, and topics that may be unclear to them. We, as teachers, should always question our methods and search for ways to improve our methods.

One of the most empowering topics that Dr. Yendol-Hoppey discussed was the idea that the teacher owns their own inquiry. In the age where so much of the education and curriculum is made by someone other than the classroom teacher, it's reassuring to hear that a teacher can work around it. A teacher can take a part of the curriculum that isn't reaching the students, or a question they have about part of the instruction, and actively inquire about it to come up with a solution. And this doesn't have to be done alone either! It can be done with fellow teachers, mentor teachers, administrators, staff in the school, and many more people! It can also be done in several different modes of cooperation. This was encouraging to hear because I often worry that my instruction will lack due to the rigorous adherence to a curriculum mandated by the state. Teacher inquiry, and the discussion with Dr. Yendol-Hoppey, really brought it into prospective how much more effective my instruction can be if I reflect upon it.

I also enjoyed when Dr. Yendol-Hoppey explained inquiry stance. She asked us, "Is inquiry a stance or a project?" In the audience, we split almost evenly to each way. I personally thought it was more of a project than a stance, but I was proven wrong. Inquiry is not a project; it's a stance. The reason is that inquiry is a constant and on-going process that continues to build and grow throughout your career. A stance is essentially a belief system and/or your opinion while a project has a defined beginning and end. Inquiry stance builds upon the teacher's beliefs to grow the classroom environment and students. Without this, the classroom is missing an effective instruction tool.

Overall, I learned a vast amount from Dr. Yendol-Hoppey's discussion. I took away lessons that need to be learned and implemented into my classroom. I know that I need to start thinking this way now because it will develop into a habit. Therefore, by the time I reach the stage where I'm teaching my own classroom, it will become second nature.

Thank you, Dr. Yendol-Hoppey, for coming to speak to us! It was greatly appreciated!

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