Collaborative+Culture+1

The reading selection in Learning by Doing, pages 98 & 99 focuses on learning teams that impact student learning. Think about your grade level - does it match the definition of a team as listed in the reading selection? What distinguishes your grade level as a team, more than just a group of teachers all teaching the same grade?

We share materials and workloads. We discuss issues and make decisions as a group. Everyone follows through with that decision whether they suppported it or not. We are also friends in and out of school. We all have different personalities and ways of doing things, but we try to stay on the same schedule and the same material. There is probably more we could do to be a team as descrbed in the reading. We need to give in sometimes to the wishes of others and support our decisions with facts and logical reasons for the things we choose to do.(E Lee) Agree. This year we have worked well together collaborating with RS. We each have weekly assignments to take care of as teachers (i.e. typing songs, typing words, cutting sentences, copying tests, etc.). We have been dependent on each other for these things as well as shared ideas, collaborated on lessons, and scheduled tests together. Depending on each other and collaborating has made us more like a team. We have four very different personalities in second grade. However, at the end of the day, we respect each other's differences. There is a lot to be said for that! (C.Hagemann) As a second grade teacher at Barkley Bridge, I can honestly say that I have never worked with a group of teachers who work together so well. Yes, we work together as a team and share responsibilities. For example, each teacher is responsible for one field trip per year instead of the grade chairperson taking on all the responsibility. We are each on a committee at school and report back to the others. We have a good line of communication and make group decisions for the good of the team. We are lucky in that we actually enjoy working together. (I. Fisher) Don’t forget support personnel are there to join the collaborative team on all grade levels! We offer specialized skills to support the classroom teaching. Of course, I am only speaking for myself as a librarian/former classroom teacher. (JHall) Kindergarten at Crestline works together to plan and support each other. we share ideals, new materials, paperwork, and all things necessary to run our grade level. (LWren) Wow--what an excellent group of teachers I work with. I am proud of our "team". Our personalities seem to mesh so well together. We share anything needed, help each other with planning lessons, try to stay together in subject areas, etc. We all know that we're in this together and no one person can do it all. Of course, with 4 women grouped together, we wouldn't always make the same exact choices, but we support each other in choices that are made to affect all of us and our students. We are all very flexible too. I'm sure we could change something to be even better, but we are a great team! (Jamie Layman) Our grade level works very well as a team. We each are in charge of one week of each SF unit. On our week we run off all the homework for the week and all activities to coordinate with the current story. If we have any additional ideas, we are sure to share them.(M.Ward) We have a great team working and collaborating together in all areas of the curriculum. Striving to make sure we are covering the Alabama Course of Study in all academic courses. As a team we meet when it is possible and discuss ideas enphasizing subject or skill areas that we find our students need strengthening in.(B.Spur) I do think we work very well together. We are friends to begin with and that is always a plus. We share activities and plan together. I think this year with the new reading series we have really pulled together to all share in the work of making things to go with our new series. If one person makes something everyone gets a copy. Also, we divided parts of each story and each person is responsible for getting it made for all of us. This has really been a year of team work with all the new material. (K.Powell) Our grade level also works well together. As has been mentioned above, we are all very different personalities, but we work well together. When it comes down to most things, we think alike. It's scary sometimes! Especially with Reading Street this year, we have worked together more and helped each other more. We share the work so we don't duplicate things and create more work for ourselves. When I think of a team, I also think of encouragement. I especially like that we try to encourage each other. We share things that are the good times, as well as the bad, school and home life. Many times we have helped each other through a bad day. I think this is part of teamwork as well as the work itself. Also, I know I can count on them for anything. That doesn't mean I ask, but I know they are there. I do not feel that I'm alone in this profession of teaching. In a self-contained classroom, often teachers can get discouraged because we are always "on," and "alone" all day. I know that my grade level friends are just a step away if I need an ear or a shoulder.(J. Thomas) I agree with Joy. Our grade level does have 4 very different personalities but when it comes down to most things at school, we can almost speak for one another we think so much alike. We have all spent almost all of our teaching careers in first grade so we know (for the most part) what works and what doesn't. We have worked together more this year because of the reading series. We've had to depend on each other more because there is just too much for one person to do to truly be prepared each week! This is where all of our different personalities and strengths have come in handy! (K. Hargett) I agree with my fellow coworkers!!. We all have diverse personalities, however when it is time to unite and come together for a common cause we are a TEAM!!! We can always depend on each other for a support network and to be there for each other for the benefit of our students. (P. Smith)

Much progress has been made within and among grade levels over the past two years, largely due to implementing Reading Street and developing and using the pacing guides. Regular data meetings are probably also helping teachers work more closely together and building stronger learning teams. (E. Land) With the new reading series, we are almost be made to collaborate more and become a "team". Our grade level is very unique in the fact that we are a team, but just on seperate teams. (H. Witt)

I can honestly say that my "team" or grade level works really well together. I feel that our personalities, interests and teaching goals are similiar enough that we want the same for our children. We have regular grade level meetings and we plan, share ideas and even rotate children to do experiments and activities among our grade level. I feel that it helps to make the process much easier and enjoyable when a grade level can get on the same page and work together. (J. Wimberley) We are a very cohesive group and work extremely well together. We share the same values when it comes to what is best for students. Our team is always willing to share the work load and collaborate on new ideas. Each one of us brings a different perspective to the table and we can accomplish our goals together. Working with a very optimistic, realistic group is also a blessing! (K. Smith)

Our grade level is constantly working together on whatever we need to do. We help each other and work off each others strenghts and weaknesses.(K.Jared) The glue that bonds us in 3rd is that we realize that we each have strengths and weaknesses. Instead of exploiting the weaknesses of each other and downplaying the strengths, we compliment and try to make the strengths stronger and help each other to make us better where we are weak. We are fortunate in that where one of us is weak in a particular area, there are at least one or two that are strong and work to help the other. We're not perfect, but we try and make things work. (J. Waynick) Our team works together to use each or our strengths and areas of expertise to make sure that we plan the best program and schedule for our students. We also help each other stay current on new forms, requirements and regulations in special education. That can be a daunting task, but it is more manageable when we try to keep each other up to date. (A. Land) This year our grade level has shared the load with each other. We have worked together as a team in ways that we never have before. We are collaborating with our intervention students, working on COS standards together and planning activities together. In a time when we are overrun with paperwork, forms, deadlines, etc. it sure is nice to know that we can rely on our team for support and help. (C. Bennich) Our team works together by sharing ideas on how to help individual students achieve success.(Thrasher)Our third grade team collaborates in all areas of teaching in our grade level. It is becoming more and more difficult to acquire any lengthy time for grade levels to meet. I do agree with the above comment, we are overrun with paperwork, forms, and deadlines needing to be completed many times when our grade level would like to meet and discuss new units that we are about to teach. However, our meeting times have been cut because of much of the work mentioned eariler. I hope that this lack of time for teams to meet will be noticed and that more time will be set aside for teams to collaborate and discuss up coming events, science units, or other curriculum concerns teams would like to discuss.(B. Spur) Our grade level makes a great team. We share various responsibilities throughout each week. Working with great cohorts makes teaching a whole lot easier especially on a day that may otherwise be sour. (A. Robinson) Being a special education teacher, I have found that grade level teachers are very helpful. I have found myself needing materials for instruction. Teachers do not have to help, but go above and beyond to help others that are not even on their grade level. I love the collaboration at Crestline!!! (J.Haynes)