Working Together

Maybe it’s my personal staff development in Thoughtful Classroom training with Harvey Silver this summer. Maybe it’s my own style of management that includes processing ideas in discussions with others and sharing decision making. Maybe it’s all of the reading I’m doing on-line and in educational journals this summer.

I’m more convinced every day that our professional collaborations must grow and that our professional relationships, teacher to teacher, are the only way we can become our best selves in the classroom. I’m more sure of my personal vision for my position of assistant superintendent every page I turn and every RSS feed I read. As Harvey Silver said, it’s “Teachers Talking to Teachers about Teaching”. My plan is to foster this collaborative concept this year, to make it grow, to watch us all learn and collectively improve for our students. The days of teacher as independent contractor are long gone.

4 Comments
  1. I truly think collaboration is one of the keys to success for schools. We need to allow our teachers to come out of isolation and have those powerful conversations. Sharing best practices is essentail and sometimes it is hard for teachers to have the chance to do this. We started the process of curriculum mapping in our district and it forces teachers to collaborate as professionals. I just posted on this at edleaderweb.net/blog.

  2. Just completed the first day of that book study using the book POWERFUL DESIGNS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, and I must say it was very satisfying! Professional discourse with other administrators on how we help to create the time and culture for that teacher to teacher conversaton and collaboration is very invigorating! Great day!

  3. At our recent Curriculum Camp, one of our key note speakers, Giselle Martin-Kniep, gave suggestions regarding the future of education and how to reach her vision for 21st Century education.

    Giselle gave us several steps we could take to move closer to a better system, but the one that jives with your teacher-to-teacher thoughts is the idea of “Perpetuating the Profession.” Giselle suggested that teachers (and all educators) need to talk about and even write about their vision.

    Oh, and a great resource for you regarding teacher-centered professional development and collaboration might be the book POWERFUL DESIGNS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. Our BOCES is conducting a book study of this book / workbook this year.

  4. I’ll take that walk with you, Kimberly.

    Until June of this year, I thought collaboration was limited by school schedules, but I was mistaken. Time is still a factor, but we cannot complain about the availability of quality collegiality online.

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