Have you ever felt like you're repeating yourself over like a broken record? Have you ever thought to yourself, "Yeah, that's a great idea, but it needs further development?" My entire experience as an educator has revolved around looking for great collaboration. Not just among myself and fellow educators, but in students as well. Collaboration is the foundation of great teaching and learning! In my current position, I am often challenged to coach teachers and administrators in the instruction of Mathematics. What I feel like I'm really coaching them in is COLLABORATION! This isn't something I take lightly. Yes, traditionally, teachers have just shared great worksheets, cute projects, and sometimes the occasional thematic bulletin board to catch the attention of all passers by. But my friends, this isn't collaboration, this is simply SHARING. What does collaboration look like? What does it sound like? How does collaboration impact student achievement? Or does it?
The World English Dictionary defines collaboration as "the act of working with another or others on a joint project." So I ask you, is educating students a joint project? They say it takes a village, so why in "the village" do we not collaborate about; assessing learning, further learning, and the data that shows learning has taken place?
I recently heard a phenomenal new principal talk about the tough conversations that she had to have with her veteran staff upon taking on the role of principal at her school. Tough conversations are just that TOUGH. But does that mean that we shouldn't have them as professionals in order to increase student achievement and our own professional growth?
I truly believe that people do the best they can with what they know. However, how does one ever know more, if tough conversations are not started? I also truly believe that all teachers want to do what's best for students, and sometimes that means having a tough conversation with the student, the parent, or our own colleagues.
I work with so many talented educators and many who have ideas I could only hope to think of, yet, there's a void in the work they are doing. That void is called collaboration. So I challenge all educators, new and veteran, administrators, and teachers to look deeply at the level of collaboration you are engaged in. Do you take constructive criticism personally or do you take it and do something about it because it does impact student achievement? Work smarter, not harder!!!!!
If our common goal truly is to raise student achievement and educate young people to be thinkers and life long learners, then why do we often take the ball and run in the opposite direction from our own teammates?
