Teachers as Resources
Do you think of other teachers as resources? This page gives suggestions for collaboration.
This page was submitted by Debra
Teachers as Resources, Collaboration That Works
The teachers I know are very dedicated to their students and to the teaching profession. They work long hours researching strategies and creating learning aids to provide the very best learning environment possible for their students. But these same teachers have too long been isolated in their classrooms. The very thing that drives them to do their best also prevents them from that endeavor to some degree. The book, What's Worth Fighting for in Education by Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves can help teachers and administrators find powerful strategies to enable teachers to begin to have meaningful collaboration with each other. Through effective collaboration, teachers and principals can work through the challenges of teaching and find ways to involve all available human resources to provide the best possible learning environment for students. In my opinion, as shaped through three decades of teaching and from reading this book, the keys to effective collaboration are as follows:
• Teachers are highly prized resources and these resources should be shared.
• Quality time for collaboration is essential.
• Genuine collaboration cannot be forced. Although the beginning phases of collaboration may occur based on planned collaboration time, once the process is in place, teachers will need the freedom to create their own genuine collaboration.
• Just as social learning works well for students, it is also effective for teachers as they plan strategically.
• Through interactive professionalism teachers can create changes that are sustainable, but at the same time flexible, so that plans can be tweaked as needed.
• All stakeholders must be involved in creating the best learning environment where students are actively engaged.
• Quality change takes time. Improvements must be allowed time to show results. Time must be allotted over a period of years to realize the positive aspects of new strategies, as these improvements cannot be expected to immediately appear.
• Teachers should be provided the latest technology tools for collaboration. This includes telephones in their classrooms. Considering this technology was developed decades ago, it is time teachers had immediate use of telephones to communicate with parents, administrators and each other.
• Teachers should have easy access to all kinds of technology devices to research new strategies and collaborate to share best practices. Easy access includes overnight use of technology devices.
• Professional development should begin with the teacher. Teachers need to be instrumental in deciding what professional development in which they will participate.
• Peer coaching is a valuable tool; however, teachers will need training to learn how to gain the benefits. Getting past the traditional view of observations will be challenging.
Recommended Websites
For additional information concerning the importance of collaboration, an online version of Education week was published on May 20, 2008 and is available at:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/05/21/
Education Week
Current Issue
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Published Online: May 20, 2008
Published in Print: May 21, 2008
Commentary
Collaborative Teaching
For information concerning collaboration and teachers as change agents go to:
ASCD
Educational Leadership
March 1993 | Volume 50 | Number 6
The Professional Teacher Pages 12-17
http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem
Recommended books:
Allington, R. L. (2000). What really matters for struggling readers: Designing research-based programs. Boston: Longman.
Fullan, M. & Hargreaves, A. (1996). What’s worth fighting for in your school. New York and London: Teachers College Press.
Ormrod, J.E. (1999). Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
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