Effecting Change at School and District Levels
In order to effect change in my school, I collaborate with other Science teachers. In fact, according to the National Center for Research in Vocational Education at the University of California at Berkeley, “most of the current major educational reforms call for extensive, meaningful teacher collaboration.” (University of California at Berkeley, 1993) The science teachers at my school meet three days each week. As Department Chair, I encourage the sharing of information acquired at workshops and other science-related events so that all students can benefit from this knowledge.
I have faced several challenges. Some of the new teachers have become overwhelmed and some of the veteran teachers are uninterested. The new teachers are relieved, however, to learn that the veteran teachers have similar first year stories. In addition, I have asked veteran teachers to share their best classroom strategies for classroom management, which seems to be the major hurdle to cross. It is important to know what works so that each teacher can replicate that in the classroom. It is just as important to know what has not worked, so that modifications can be made that will allow for success in the future.
Collaboration allows teachers to talk about topics in the curriculum. Teachers can also discuss behavior and attitudes as well. I work in a middle school that educates seventh and eighth grade students. Most of the teachers in my department and in my school are first year teachers. In addition to having the challenge of being a first year teacher, it is extremely important for teachers to understand the middle school child.
Although my school has limited resources, the information, especially information regarding Internet resources, has been phenomenal. Schools and teachers benefit in many ways when teachers work together. In fact, a “growing body of evidence suggests a positive relationship between teacher collaboration and student achievement.” (McClure, 2008) In addition to assisting teachers in providing high-quality science instruction, collaboration also leads to teacher retention and teacher satisfaction.
References
Teacher Collaboration in Secondary Schools. (1993, December) Center Focus. Retrieved from http://vocserve.berkeley.edu/centerfocus/CF2.html
McClure, Carla. The Benefits of Teacher Collaboration. (2008, September) District Administration. Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1682
Danita, I believe your district and school are lucky to have someone like you with your experience in both science and teaching. I like what you said about evetrans losing interest and new teachers being overwhelmed. I did not study or train in the United States, so I would like to ask you if there is a program that allows new teachers to train for some time in other classrooms before taking on their own?
ReplyDeleteClassroom management is one major obstacle with new teachers for sure and it is a personal challenge any teacher must learn to overcome. However, with subject matter, I feel there can be much more collaboration and sharing to allow for more ideas and meeting standards.
I think it is great to share your first year struggles with new teachers. It is a big comfort to learn that teachers are not expected to always have the answers to everything. It took me several years to learn that... I think it would have made my life easier if someone had shared their experiences with me.
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