Overall, I really appreciate the idea of a community of inquiry. When I first started teaching this year I was anxious when I interacted with students because I was operating under the idea that I had to present myself as the authority who imparts knowledge to students. The idea that my role as an instructor is to foster a community for learning with my students has shifted my point of view on teaching. It has also made it a lot more fun!
The practical inquiry model that moves from a triggering event to exploration, integration, and resolution is important for me to keep in mind as I design and teach my courses. Again, this helps me to think about moving away from imparting knowledge to triggering curiosity and excitement in the classroom so that students go through the process of learning within our community. This has so many implications for how I deliver and design class content which I am already exploring with my students.
Throughout this first year of teaching I have found myself often saying to colleagues that “I’m learning so much from my students.” Now I see that this must be the case if we follow a community of inquiry model for teaching. While the instructor provides the overall design and guidance for the course students must feel empowered to contribute to the learning environment that all of us are creating together.
