School Name: Brooklyn Elementary School

School District: SD#71 Comox Valley

Inquiry Team Members: Naomi Radawiec: naomi.radawiec@sd71.bc.ca, Deborah Koehn: deborahkoehn@gmail.com, Kimberly Macneil: kimberley.macneil@ubc.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: naomi.radawiec@sd71.bc.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: SRL Case Study

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Intermediate (4-7)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Other: Core Competency: Communication

Focus Addressed: Self-regulation

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Self Regulation – Communication (and meeting the needs of introverted learners).

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: We noticed that students were struggling with communication. They were very hesitant to share in class discussions, speak quietly during circle, and did not show evidence of critical thinking when they were asked deep thinking questions. They were very quiet and not comfortable with public speaking. They seem worried about saying the “wrong thing” or having others judge them. When asked to turn and talk to a peer, their discussions were superficial and ended quickly. They struggled to engage in collaborative tasks at the stand up whiteboards and work in small groups.

We also asked the four key questions. Most students said they can name two adults who believe they will be a success, however two students said they could not. For their “Weekly Question” students wrote about how it’s going with their learning and what their next steps are. They had a hard time communicating how it’s going, and struggled to describe examples of how they demonstrate the core competencies.

As we got to know the students, we reflected on the First Peoples Principle of Learning: Learning requires exploration of one’s identity. The students in our class and their unique identities really impacted this inquiry and our learning together.

Focus: Our focus originally was to develop their ability to share ideas and communicate through public speaking. Later in the year we shifted our focus to developing communication skills by giving them the opportunity to share in a variety of ways (not just speaking).

Hunch: We began to really reflect on the learners and who they are as individuals. Our hunch was…maybe we were trying too hard to change who they are, rather than adapting to meet their needs? We had a hunch that the majority of learners in our class are introverts. We created a survey with 24 questions for students to individually answer, and we found that 14/25 of them are most likely introverts. The survey was super helpful because it gave us insights into their experience as learners. We live in an extroverted, busy, fast pace world. Days at school and the learning environment often meet the needs of extroverts, and leave introverts feeling overwhelmed, confused, frustrated, misunderstood and perhaps like they are not very smart because they process things differently.

New Professional Learning: We did research into what life is like for introverts, how their brains process things, how they learn and interact with others. We read real stories written by introverts about their life experiences.

Naomi: Many of their stories resonated with me as a learner, and I discovered that I’m more introverted than I thought I was. I actually believe I’ve always been an introvert, but my love for performing arts and connecting with people made me think I was more of an extrovert. But as I age and discover more about myself, I’ve realized that I need more time alone to recharge and that busy, social environments can drain me. In school, I was always the last to finish tests, I needed extra time to process, and I’ve always preferred writing out what I want to say for presentations, rather than winging it or relying on memory.

Taking Action: In the beginning of the year when I was focused on the talking and public speaking aspect of communication, I gave them opportunities to develop their speaking skills in class. I involved our school’s performing arts teacher who focused on skill building around public speaking and risk taking through drama activities like improv, and structured debate. Despite our focus on communication and public speaking, they did not show great improvement.

As I got to know my students and learned more about meeting the needs of introverts, I tried out various strategies, shifted my teaching and expectations. These are some things that have really helped our class this year, thanks to the students being open, the connections we’ve built, and all the reflecting we’ve done together.

Provide extra time to think: Allow students to think before asking them to share with the class or contribute to a group. Introverts tend to rely more on long-term memory so retrieving information can take longer, especially under pressure, which can make speaking feel more difficult. On the survey 80% said they feel more comfortable sharing their ideas after they’ve had time to prepare and they like to think about what they want to say before speaking. Introverts’ brains often process stimuli more deeply.

Balance group work with individual tasks: Introverts gain energy from solitude. Time alone is essential for recharging, creativity, and deep thinking. Being alone allows introverts to engage their prefrontal cortex without being distracted or overstimulated.

Recognize the role of anxiety: Anxiety affects verbal expression. Stress can impair memory and concentration, adding another challenge when introverts are expected to speak. Allowing students to prepare, and giving them a heads up that they are going to share, alleviates anxiety.

Understand the influence of age and developmental stage: David Yeager explains that between the ages of 10 and 25, young people care deeply about status and respect, which means they are very sensitive to how others perceive them. This heightened concern for social evaluation can affect their motivation, behaviour, and willingness to engage in learning. This sensitivity may be heightened for introverted learners. Students this age are wondering, am I good enough? Where do I fit in? What will they think of me? This is why being asked to speak in front of their peers can seem so daunting. Many of my 11 and 12 year old students said they feel uncomfortable sharing in class because they are afraid of what their peers might think of them, that they might be laughed at, or say something “stupid.”

Value Listening: Introverts often prefer listening over speaking. They often feel more comfortable taking in information than responding quickly in conversations. 84% said they prefer listening to others’ ideas before sharing their own

Encourage students to communicate and participate in a variety of ways: Set up the learning environment so that introverts have a chance to show their thinking in different ways, not just by speaking. Examples: Written reflections, sticky notes, drawing, exit slips, vertical whiteboards, graffiti walls, mind maps, gallery walks. Thinking quietly or sharing differently is just as valid as being outspoken. For some people, writing is easier than speaking. At the same time, It’s important to continue to provide opportunities for students to build public speaking skills…

Create a Calm Environment, Quiet Times, and avoid overstimulation: Design the day so there are quiet times for introverts to process, decompress, and connect with their inner world. With careful planning and thought, you can avoid overstimulation. (I’m a highly sensitive person so I need a calm environment as well). Introverts are more sensitive to dopamine – too much stimulation can feel overwhelming, while acetylcholine (released during focus and calm) suits them better. 76% said they like having quiet times to recharge after busy activities. Be mindful of noise and sensory overload. Some people are sensitive to classroom noise, visual clutter, and lighting. They may need calm transitions.

Meeting the Needs of Introverted Learners handout – by Naomi Radawiec

Checking: I believe this inquiry made the biggest difference in the way that I teach and the way I see my students, which impacted the way that my students view themselves. I believe that they felt more understood, respected and empowered as I was open with them about communication, their strengths, and what I was discovering as a teacher (that we often value speaking more than other forms of communication).

One key thing that I learned is that I shouldn’t always assume that it’s my job to encourage students to speak up more. It’s not always a matter of self confidence like I may assume it to be. It may be a matter of personality, temperament, and their preferences for ways of communicating. I need to recognize that, rather than just seek to encourage them to be more outgoing and speak up.

There is a boy with autism in our class who is very quiet and hesitant to engage in activities, especially when there is speaking and collaborating involved. When I ask him a question (even if it’s how are you doing?), he is very slow to respond, and may just nod or use body language to reply instead of speaking. So we often communicate through hand signals or nodding. He struggles to fit into the flow of a regular classroom and demonstrate his learning in conventional ways. However, when given the opportunity to do a “Passion Project” and choose how to show his learning, he created a fantastic Stop Motion Lego video that was incredibly creative, funny, and informative, all about photography…with a voice over, and an accent that made us laugh out loud. We really got to see his brilliance shine through when we changed our expectations and allowed him to communicate in his own way.

Reflections/Advice: Instead of a student thinking “What’s wrong with me” students can instead understand that their brain just works differently. Designing learning experiences with introverts in mind enables all learners to feel seen and heard, understood, and valued for who they are. It’s important to still provide opportunities for growth in public speaking, and taking risks sharing their ideas with the class, while at the same time allowing them many opportunities to reflect deeply, process their thoughts, recharge after social activities, and communicate in different ways.

I discovered a book at the end of June that would have been perfect to read to my class this year, and I plan on reading it next school year in September! The Book is called “More than Words: So many ways to say what we mean” by Roz Maclean. Check it out!

School Name: Garibaldi Highlands Elementary

School District: SD#48 Sea to Sky

Inquiry Team Members: Katrina Lowe (klowe@sd48.bc.ca), Kimberly Sinclair (kimberley.macneil@ubc.ca)

Inquiry Team Contact Email: katrinamarielowe@gmail.com

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: SRL Case Study

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Literacy, Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Writing

Focus Addressed: Literacy, Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), Formative assessment, Self-regulation

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? My focus for the year was using staff meeting time to walk teachers through inquiry to model Self Regulated Learning and inquiry so that they could feel supported and prepared in using these same strategies with their students.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: In the scanning process we asked the students the four questions that matter. What are you learning, how is it going, and where to next. I also had staff fill out a reflective tool after this scan asking the questions… What was your plan for scanning in your classroom(s)? What were you looking for? What happened? What did you see, notice, or hear? What did you think and feel about what you observed? What did you learn? What’s next? What are your questions now? What did you need to learn more about and what might you try next? We used the responses from these two tools as well as all of our quantitative data (the FSA, the OurSCHOOL survey, the student learning survey, the MDI, EDI, and CHEQ) to inform our next steps.

Focus: In the focusing stage, the staff used the consequence tables from Brooke Moore’s book and read the article “Spiral of Inquiry and Decision Maker Moves: A Rigorous Blend” to decide, using our collected data, what focus would give the biggest bang for our buck. We collectively decided to focus on using self-regulated learning strategies with our students to develop the competency of community and the literacy skills.

Hunch: If students are not seeing themselves as active participants in their learning, and as a result are not taking ownership of it, then we must recognize that the system has been unintentionally—but effectively—designed to produce this outcome. By shifting our focus toward Self-Regulated Learning, we begin to address this issue with purpose and intention, fostering environments where students can truly engage with and take responsibility for their own learning journey.

New Professional Learning: We had Kimberly Sinclair come to our school and deliver two workshops to teachers during ProD days on Self-Regulated Learning. The first session focused on what is self-regulated learning and its connection to social-emotional learning and the second focused on designing learning. Kimberly was available for the afternoon of the second workshop to work with others who wanted to begin designing learning for their students. As a whole team we have read the Spirals of Inquiry Playbook, and have worked collaboratively on each step of the spiral in a way that everyone has had the opportunity not only to contribute but also to experience inquiry. As a team we have read the article “Spiral of Inquiry and Decision Maker Moves: A Rigorous Blend” by Brook Moore, as well as several articles by Helen Timperly, Leyton Schnellert, Deb Butler, and Kimberly Sinclair.

Taking Action: Kimberly came again in the spring twice to collaborate with small teams of teachers who wanted to develop some SRL in their classrooms. We have also decided to implement PBIS in our school, based on the need to develop community. We have come up with our four values… Persistence, Accountability, Community, and Kindness. We have changed our school mascot to the T’Kaya (the wolf), which the students chose and stands for community and togetherness. We worked together with a local Squamish Nation artist named Siobhan Joseph to create our new T’Kaya. We held a traditional blanketing and honouring ceremony to officially adopt the T’Kaya and thank those who have helped us on this journey towards strengthening our community, and we (the entire school) have begun to learn the T’Kaya song and dance.

Checking: We plan on asking the students the four questions that matter again in the fall. The teachers can all name the stages of the spiral of inquiry and what our school learning plan is. Everyone can identify our school values. Everyone can name our school mascot and describe how the wolf represents us.

Reflections/Advice: Something I have learned from this inquiry is that sometimes it’s hard to teach a large group of educators about the power of inquiry. The book leading through the Spirals of Inquiry helped me immensely in this project, as well as Helen Timperly’s work on collaborative communities.

School Name: Nechako Valley Secondary School

School District: SD#91 Nechako Lakes

Inquiry Team Members: Dane Phiipenko – dphilipenko@sd91.bc.ca
Travis Himmelright – thimmelright@sd91.bc.ca
Marilou Nightingale – mnightingale@sd91.bc.ca
Deb Koehn – dkoehn@sd91.bc.ca

Inquiry Team Contact Email: dkoehn@sd91.bc.ca

II. Inquiry Project Information

Type of Inquiry: SRL Case Study

Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Secondary (8-12)

Curricular Areas Addressed: Applied Design, skills & Technology, Language Arts – Oral Language, Language Arts – Writing, Social Studies, Other: Place-based Learning

Focus Addressed: Indigenous Focus (for example, Traditional Knowledge, oral history, reconciliation), Core competencies (for example, critical thinking, communication, problem solving), Land, Nature or Place-based learning, Self-regulation

In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? This year we focused on developing self-regulation skills through a variety of learning experiences: inquiry projects, place-based learning, developing cultural understandings – educators developed their focus of SRL by building on students’ strengths, interests and desire through co-creation of learning and leaning into high expectations of self as educator learner, as well as from student learners.

III. Spirals of Inquiry Details

Scanning: Students were minimally meeting standards when completing tasks even though they had strong connections to the educators leading the learning. Classroom teachers were noticing minimal effort and interest. Developing classroom norms helped establish protocols for communication in the classrooms, but did little to spark interest in deep learning. Conversations between these middle years educators helped develop an understanding of pre-established expectations held by students as they transitioned from grade 7 to grade 8, and helped the educators understand the ways that students were approaching both learning and their identity as grade 8 students – learned attitudes and perceived norms of behaviour were interfering. In the middle school program, the social nature of learning is emphasized and opportunities are offered daily to interact with peers. As well, the educators were focused on the First Peoples Principle – Learning requires exploration of one’s identity. Students developed an understanding of what they were learning, and ways self and peer assessment of learning helped them develop as learners.

Focus: The skills of self-regulated learning are necessary throughout our lives. The students entering into the grade 8 middle school were working hard, not to learn, but to develop social capacity. We hoped that students would develop a sincere interest in self as learner, self as leader, and self as a positive member of the classroom and greater school community. We believed that once students acknowledged their own successes as learners, they would invest more in themselves. We hoped that grade 8 students would find joy in learning, a sense of ownership over their destinations, and a pathway to future goals and careers.

Hunch: A narrative seems to exist in the general student community, one that implies that transitioning into the grade 7 and grade 8 middle schools program means a different set of values and beliefs are held. It is true that there is a strong emphasis on social emotional well-being in the program, and often that is misinterpreted by students as permission – to express themselves with little or no self-regulation. The goal of the program is just the opposite, to teach strong social-emotional and self-regulatory learning skills that will serve our students throughout life. Educators felt they needed to find a way to honour the social-emotional wellness pieces of the middle school program, while developing rigorous academic expectations. Educators were searching for ways to ensure students were invested in their learning.

New Professional Learning: We used Kath Murdoch’s books on inquiry learning, The Spiral Notebook for Student Changemakers, and adapted activities from both to create a framework for inquiry units. This framework was easily adapted for various subject areas. We have been fortunate to be supported within the Self-Regulated Learners network by fellow inquirers and UBC Researcher, Kimberley McNeil.

Taking Action: When students moved into learning about local history and connecting events to family members and community members known by the students, true interest and effort was sparked. Carefully developing protocols and strategies (with students) as they entered the inquiry process gave students the chance to not only demonstrate learning, but also management of time, development of priorities, and ownership over their learning. From that breakthrough, educators were able to use student voice and agency to ensure more interest and commitment. Moving the students into outdoor learning in the Spring through co-learning and designing an outdoor learning trail with elementary students further offered leadership opportunities and purposeful learning.

Checking: Students responded well to the challenge of developing a personal interest inquiry. They developed time management skills, gave meaningful feedback to self and each other and engaged in frequent check-ins with the classroom teacher on how the learning was going and next steps. Huge growth in ownership of learning was observed. Parents and community members attended the celebration of learning and students demonstrate obvious pride in their achievements. This led to increased participation in other learning activities. Students began participating with more enthusiasm and were finding meaning and purpose in their learning opportunities. Ability to participate in discussions around learning and the strategies and skills needed to learn were noticeable.

Reflections/Advice: We plan on beginning our year with a focus on high level expectations, and renewed commitment from adult learners to ensure that expectations are understood, modelled by the adults and are embedded in each activity. As well, we will continue to take learning deeper – introducing inquiry based learning earlier in the year and continuing in the Fall with outdoor learning through trail building and being aware of the gifts of the place in which we live and learn. We hope to start the year off with a community building overnight trip that will also embed Indigenous ways of knowing and learning from the land.