Moving from Teacher Isolation to Collaboration


Book Description

Teaching embodies many roles -- in the classroom through teacher-student interactions, and beyond the classroom through teacher-adult interactions. This book explains and demonstrates how collaboration and teamwork can help enhance professionalism and school quality by overcoming teachers' isolation in the classroom, in the school, and in their work. The contributing authors address: historic patterns of isolation; why collaboration is crucial for vibrant and sustained professionalism; principles of successful team collaboration in schools and other sectors; school districts' structure and support for collaborative teams; forces that motivate or restrain teachers' ability to collaborate; how teachers in grade-level teams perceive the quality of their training and support; team members' perceptions of their work in departments; teachers' use of evidence of student learning to improve teacher and organizational learning; and teacher-principal collaboration from the perspectives of exemplary teachers. These chapters provide insight into the complexity of teachers' roles, and indicate the necessity to build collaboration within the school and beyond.




The Leader's Role in Developing and Sustaining a School Culture Supportive of Teacher Collaboration


Book Description

A substantial amount of research shows that teacher collaboration and a collaborative school culture can significantly increase student achievement. However, long-standing norms of teacher isolation create a significant barrier to this endeavor. The increased popularity of Professional Learning Communities has helped education move away from these norms of isolation. However, studies show that isolation is still very prevalent in the United States. School leaders need to put structures in place to combat teacher isolation. In addition to PLCs, structures, such as peer coaching, team teaching, teacher induction programs, and ongoing, job-embedded professional development, can help to promote a collaborative work culture and improve teaching and learning. However, just putting structures in place will not create a collaborative culture. School leaders need to develop this culture. This research is a case study of an award-winning elementary school with a strong collaborative culture. The results of this research show that school leaders can put systems in place and develop a collaborative culture that can significantly influence student achievement. The efforts of this school leader can be a blueprint for other schools that wish to move teachers away from isolation and toward a more collaborative culture.




Co-Teaching for English Learners


Book Description

"Dove and Honigsfeld′s new book arrives at the perfect time as an increasing number of schools move to a collaborative instructional model and are searching for guidance. The authors not only tell us how to effectively collaborate and co-teach to benefit English learners, they actually show us what each component of the collaborative instructional cycle looks and feels like, complemented by innovative video and web content." —DIANE STAEHR FENNER, Coauthor of Unlocking ELs’ Potential and President of SupportEd Because teacher collaboration isn’t an option, it’s a MUST! The proof is borne out by any assessment: our non-native speakers learn faster and achieve more when general ed teachers and EL specialists co-plan and co-deliver instruction in the very same classroom. That’s why you’ll want to put Co-Teaching for English Learners at the top of your reading list. Step by step, EL authorities Maria Dove and Andrea Honigsfeld walk you through the entire collaborative instruction cycle, along with seven potential classroom configurations from which to choose. Whether you’re new to co-teaching or just see room for improvement in your practice, this practical handbook delivers every technique and tool you need to make the most of your collaboration, including video footage of co-teaching in action. Inside you’ll find: • In-depth profiles of the seven models, with detailed descriptions and analyses • A review of advantages and challenges of each model’s implementation • Clear explanations of each teacher’s role along with self-assessment tools • Tried-and-true strategies for the entire instructional cycle: co-planning, co-instruction, co-assessment, and reflection • Real-life accounts from co-teaching veterans Long gone are the days when our ELs are taught in isolation—and rightfully so. Read Co-Teaching for English Learners, implement its strategies, and soon enough you, too, can set up a learning environment in which all students thrive.




The Collaborative Teacher


Book Description

The time of exclusive top-down leadership is over! Only teachers can transform education from inside the classroom, and this book defines best practices of collaborative teacher leadership. Specific techniques, supporting research, expert insight, and real classroom stories illustrate how to work together for student learning, create a guaranteed and viable curriculum, and use data to inform instruction.




Professional Collaboration with Purpose


Book Description

Building on both cutting-edge research and professional learning practice, Amanda Datnow and Vicki Park explore how professional collaboration can support deeper learning for students and teachers alike. While many schools and systems support teacher collaboration, they often fall short of their intended goals of improving teaching and learning. This book provides concrete guidance for creating the conditions for collaboration in which teachers are moved toward—rather than repelled—by joint work. The authors explore how collaborative settings can provide a space for working through the inevitable challenges that accompany the changing nature of teaching in the age of accountability and show the motivation, inspiration, and energy that teachers personally--and collectively--gain from collaborating to improve student learning. Ultimately, they show how teacher empowerment towards working together builds equitable and excellent learning environments.




Teacher Learning That Matters


Book Description

In the continuing global call for educational reforms and change, the contributors in this edited collection address the critical issue of teacher learning from diverse national contexts and perspectives. They define "teacher learning that matters" as it shapes and directs pedagogical practices with the goal of improving student learning. This book weaves together major studies, research findings and theoretical orientations to represent a globalized network of inquiries into the what, how and why of teacher learning that shapes teacher skill and knowledge. Teacher learning matters on an international scale because teachers are the portals through which any initiative for change and reform is realized. Recognizing that a highly skilled teaching force is instrumental to improving student achievement adds import to generating interactive dialogue on teacher learning around the globe.




The Transparent Teacher


Book Description

A new paradigm for teachers to open their classrooms and cultivate deep professional learning Teaching is an isolating profession. Most educators receive minimal feedback on their craft, typically limited to one or two short visits from the administrator each year. While some schools do encourage their teachers to observe peers, the usual protocol is for new teachers to watch the veteran, exemplary educators, but those less experienced educators could benefit immensely from having peers observe them in action. Teacher-Driven Observation is unique in that it places the observed teacher as leader of the work, the one who identifies a personal area for development, engages her colleagues in the collection of classroom data, and utilizes the data collected to inform her ongoing instruction. Offers a new model for collecting data to inform and improve individual instruction Includes a step-by-step process for implementing Teacher-Driven Observations Contains a comprehensive case study that clearly demonstrates the value of the Teacher-Driven Observation model This book outlines and illustrates a step-by-step process for breaking down professional isolation and cultivating opportunities for meaningful learning through the Teacher-Driven Observation process.




The Collaborative School


Book Description

The benefits of a collaborative work setting--including such practices as mutual help, exchange of ideas, joint planning, and participative decision-making--have been consistently confirmed by studies of effective schools and successful businesses. However, teacher isolation remains the norm. Drawing on recent research and educators' firsthand experiences, this book explores the benefits of collaboration, describes various collaborative practices and programs already occurring in schools, and shows how these practices can be introduced using currently available resources. As chapter 1 shows, collaboration has no single model and can occur in formal programs or informally among a few faculty members. Collaboration cannot be imposed from above, but depends on educators' voluntary efforts at self-improvement through teamwork. Collaborative schools foster help-related exchange, harmonize teachers' professional autonomy and principals' managerial authority, and convert teacher accountability to a self-policing policy. The second chapter shows the costs of self-imposed, professionally sanctioned teacher isolation, as contrasted with the benefits of collaboration, including increased professional development opportunities, improved student cooperation, and a more collegial learning environment. The third chapter surveys current collaborative practices in such areas as school improvement, professional development, teacher evaluation, and school decision-making. Chapter 4 shows that developing new practices is itself a collaborative process involving all school professionals. Strategies are suggested for principals desiring to encourage collaboration and for comprehensive and modest undertakings. Policymakers' promotion of instructional leadership might help principals create a truly professional teaching environment. (84 references) (MLH)




Collaboration and Co-Teaching


Book Description

Help ELLs achieve success with an integrated, collaborative program! Teacher collaboration and co-teaching are proven strategies for helping students with diverse needs achieve academically. Now this practical resource provides a step-by-step guide to making collaboration and co-teaching work for general education teachers and English as a second language (ESL) specialists to better serve the needs of English language learners (ELLs). The authors address the fundamental questions of collaboration and co-teaching, examine how a collaborative program helps ELLs learn content while meeting English language development goals, and offer information on school leaders' roles in facilitating collaboration schoolwide. Featuring six in-depth case studies, this guide helps educators: Understand the benefits and challenges of collaborative service delivery Choose from a range of strategies and configurations, from informal planning and collaboration to a fully developed co-teaching partnership Use templates, planning guides, and other practical tools to put collaboration into practice Evaluate the strategies' success using the guidelines, self-assessments, and questionnaires included Collaboration and Co-Teaching helps ESL, ELL, and general education teachers combine their expertise to provide better support for their ELLs!




Shifting to Online Learning Through Faculty Collaborative Support


Book Description

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools had to suddenly shift from traditional face-to-face courses to blended, synchronous, and asynchronous instructional environments. The impact upon the immediacy of remote learning was overwhelming to many faculty, instructional facilitators, teachers, and trainers. Many faculty and trainers have experience with the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of online and blended learning environments, while many faculty and trainers also do not have this knowledge nor experience. As such, the collegial workspace has developed into a collaborative work environment wherein the faculty are helping faculty, partially because the instructional designer staff and learning advisors are overwhelmed with the number of course projects that must be moved from traditional face-to-face course environments into an online environment within a short period of time. The faculty are helping each other make this move, offering course design and development support and also instructional tips and tricks that will support successful blended and online experiences that enhance learning outcomes. Shifting to Online Learning Through Faculty Collaborative Support focuses on supporting and enhancing blended and distance learning course design and development, successful tips for course design and teaching, techniques for online learning, and embracing collegial mentorship and facilitative support for course and faculty success. This book highlights the strength of collegial bonds while discussing tools, methods, procedural efforts, styles of engagement, learning theories, assessment efforts, and even social learning engagement implementations in online learning. It provides information and lessons and embraces a long-term approach towards understanding institutional impact and collegial support. This book is valuable for school administrators, teachers, course designers, instructional designers, school faculty, business and administrative leadership, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how faculty collaborative support is playing a critical role in improving and developing successful online learning.