What I have Learned of Action Research

As educators we are continually striving to teach our students how to be problem solvers, yet we sometimes do not give them a good example of what one looks like.  Life is always full of roadblocks and issues that try and keep us from reaching our goals, but if we are wise we try and figure out ways to overcome those roadblocks.  Action research is just a deliberate way of addressing the problem or issue and seek ways of improving or solving the problem.  It is using the resources that are available on a campus or school district, the resources being people, data, equipment or time.  To often administrators isolate their self with issues that are a problem for fear that it will be a bad reflection on their leadership abilities.  When we get to the place were we can be comfortable as seeing our self as a lifetime learner and that we do not know everything, growth is possible.  Our goal in life should be to learn as much as possible and to show that example to our students and college's.  Always giving the example of "Do as I do, as well as I say" and to "practice what we preach".  We teach problem solving skills in math and reading but they can be applied to all areas of life.  Action research is basically looking at the facts and wondering how we can adjust, tweak or completely change things to produce the outcome that we desire. The education field offers many opportunities to use action research because it always changing with new technology, budget constrants, new and harder testing requirements. As an administrator we would hope that one day all problems would be fixed, but as real people we know that  will never happen.