Without an umbrella we're soaked to the skin (Neil Sedaka)

I have a piece of paper attached to my bulletin board at school that I came across when doing some post grad diploma work a few years ago (wow - I just added them up - 14 actually!)

It's basically a summary of Inquiry methods like action research (wait! Stay with me!) but it came from Nissan and it's called The Nissan Way (bottom right corner on each picture).

The cycle is split into four sections and the cycle continues (like Spring Summer Autumn Winter...Spring): Plan > Do > Check > Action >... Plan > 

They called it a cycle of continuous improvement and I like that idea. 

I also like the simplicity on offer here. Less is more.

I was encouraged this morning in a staff meeting to think that that bunch of bananas I posted about recently is maybe (maybe...maybe) more within reach than I thought.

Next term we are working on some individual inquiries for the first five weeks during our Friday morning PD time. Guess what mine will be?

My thoughts on vertical vs horizontal tutor groups and vertical learning are things that have been on my mind recently as you know. So naturally I want to focus on this more next term.

I've done the kind of surface research on these things and my thinking about the organisational culture within the school will get some more freedom to roam next term.

I'm keen to actually formulate my thoughts in the form of The Nissan Way model

but at this stage it will have to be limited to the plan stage (as seen in the above Action Research diagram).