Reflection Chapter 2

"If I could do one thing for teachers to make school better for students, I would find a way 

to have teachers have more time to work with each other and to develop collaborative 

projects" -Jeff Whipple

I love the term “learning community”. I've had several practicum experiences, and the happiest environments have been in schools which view the student body as a community of learners, working and growing together. Instead of viewing change as a terrible and scary thing, these schools look at new information as an opportunity for teachers to work together. New technology initiatives provide professional development software (for example) so that teachers can become comfortable with using technology in the classroom, especially in a collaborative way. Teachers who work in this type of community have strong ties to each other. Your co-workers are an un-tapped resource of knowledge! Combining the individual strengths of teachers can bring about some seriously cool projects. Furthermore, collaboration among teachers helps eliminate the isolation that sometimes comes with being in this field. I love the idea of collaboration and co-teaching between general ed and special ed teachers; the combined areas of expertise and the use of multi-media teaching is dynamite in the classroom. Professionals in the learning community gain that team, increase their commitment to the mission, share responsibility, and provide some pretty powerful learning experiences.

"Sometimes, change happens because an individual teacher takes the initiative to try something new. By incorporating digital-age projects into your curriculum, you are already planning for change."

A community needs leaders. In a professional learning community, students must take responsibility for their own learning, and teachers need to be that guide. Change is inevitable, and by learning how to use technology around us to enhance our teaching and challenge our students we can build the strongest possible community. 

As a collaborative teacher, can you give and receive critical feedback? Criticism can be a harsh lady, but ultimately we need to move forward. The ability to help others grow is vital in a teamwork setting, and doing so in a constructive manner. Furthermore, we need a clear sense of our mission, a shared vision, organization into groups by teacher-leaders, a strong focus on student learning, goals, collaboration, a shared system of values and beliefs, and a full commitment to the community and projects.

To put on a musical in high school, getting the type of commitment you need for a successful show is paramount. I can say from personal experience, sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to put in the work and develop the family feeling necessary to perform your best. The cast needs to feel like a little community with roles of equal importance in relation to each other. Setting small goals is quite helpful and can keep the students from feeling overwhelmed with all of the music, lines, and choreography which must be learned in a few months time. Furthermore, the students creating the sets, running the lighting, performing in the pit, and those on stage need to feel connected and share the same vision for the performance. Communication is vital and can help reduce stress and anxiety.