What I have learned about Action Research!

Action Research! I have learned a lot about action research over the past week. To begin with action research isn't all what I thought it would be, like many educators I saw the term "research" and my heart skipped a beat! I was instantly back in my college Literature classes dreading the amount of laborious work I was about to be asked to do...and thinking I hate this! However, after reading and learning about what action research really is, I quite like it and plan on using it over and over again, throughout my journey as an administrator. Action research is defined as a process of a principal engaging in systematic intentional study of her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what she learns as a result of the inquiry. In lamen terms, this simply means that as a principal I will constantly engage in a study of my own practices and what I am doing on the job or how my campus is running and I will use my own knowledge and that of other administrators and teachers to attempt to re-vamp or "fix" any problems or instances that might occur. I really am looking forward to implementing action research. I have already begun some of the steps to action research this summer by reflecting on what I need to change and "do better" as a Reading Coach for next year. I have learned that I can use action research to make myself a better principal and administrator. I know understand that I can seek out change and reflect on my practices by posing questions and also that I can gain insights to those questions by analyzing data along with reading relevant literature and make effective changes based on a new understanding developed during my "research!" In my mind, action research is almost equivalent to some classes a friend of my families has to attend, you see he is a Vet and must attend these "continuing education" classes every so often. To me, action research is just that continuing education, only it's based on what specific implementations or problems you need to solve at your specific campus. As a principal, my learning is not ever going to be over, I am going to constantly have to "swing with the pendulum" if I want to have a successful campus and staff, action research is my tool to constantly improve teaching and learning no matter how long I have been an administrator.