The teacher's lounge can be the most toxic place on
campus! My futurist plan is to create a place where teacher's gather to
talk about student work, share teaching ideas, and support one another.
Here are my ideas/notes on how to implement this practice:
1. If you were to implement this practice, strategy, idea today, what specialized skills, resources, and dispositions would you need to obtain for yourself, your colleagues and staff?
1. If you were to implement this practice, strategy, idea today, what specialized skills, resources, and dispositions would you need to obtain for yourself, your colleagues and staff?
Have a group meeting to discuss
norms. This would need to be approached
from a positive point of view. Create
committees: decorating (i.e., colored paper, posters, pictures), norm/rules,
make it a collaboration area with teacher library. In the room would be computers, round tables
to invite conversation, textbooks.
2. What skills will your colleagues
and those you supervise need in order to be successful in this scenario? Of
those skills, which ones are currently being supported through resources such
as professional development in your setting? Which ones are missing or minimal?
What is currently being supported in your setting that would likely be obsolete
in 2020?
Teachers need to and should have
positive conversations about students.
Teachers would need updated data on students to share with other teachers. Collaboration could be between subject matter
teachers, vertical grades, and teachers who share the same students.
3. In what ways are we unprepared, lacking in resources and
staffing, or to what degree are our strategies and underlying values unable to
respond effectively to the conditions this scenario represents?
Is the current environment: toxic or healthy (articles by Anthony
Muhammad)? Create a "positive talk
zone".
4. What could we be doing now to leverage this trend to our advantage?
Model with people we currently work
with. Initiate positive talk
conversations with colleagues and students. Let others begin to see and
experience the benefits of the "new and improved" teacher's lounge.
5. What would need to happen internally and in the external environment for preparing yourself and those you lead to navigate in this strategic vision? What changes should your organization begin to make? What should it start doing? What should it stop doing?
Get team leaders on board. Buy a can of paint (in a mood enhancing)
shade. Feng Shui the room. Create inviting areas. Create a school/teacher blog to highlight
good outcomes shared information, teacher-presented Prezis. Create a chart of data analysis results for
the walls showing current AYP standings and what the goal is for the year. Have a theme for the year (i.e: student
ownership) and a place for teachers/admin to post results. Have a parking lot board. Have a conversation board.
***This Blog is the result of a wonderful collaboration with my classmate and colleague Cheree.***
Not only can the teacher's lounge be the most toxic place on campus, it has the potential to be the most innovative space as well. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteTim,
ReplyDeleteI really want to make this a reality at RMMS. It would be great to implement this at both school sites and compare and contrast the results. Maybe even co-write an article about it!
I agree with Domenica. The wonderful thing about this project is that it costs very little money and has the potential to make a big difference in the school community.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I would be wary of is making it a militarized zone...i.e. big brother is watching you and if you say anything he doesn't like you are fired.
Building that infamous trust will be key.
This is an important focus for leaders....creating a positive learning environment. For some teachers and staff you supervise, their own learning environments will not be positive without this productive learning environment for themselves. One thing that might help is a focus on a common project.Read the comment I left on Cheree's blog....just a thought.
ReplyDelete