INSERVICE 29

What’s Working for Others?

Too often, teachers teach in isolation and don’t have much contact with their co-workers. They’re busy

teaching their own students in their own classrooms, so there’s not a lot of time for collaboration. That’s

regrettable, because teachers can learn so much from one another.

PURPOSE

TEACHERS COME UP TOGETHER TO:1-SHARE EXPERIENCES

AND 2-CLASSROOM FEEDBACK

A teacher shared this:• I teach with so many wonderful teachers,

but we rarely have time to collaborate and share our ideas with one another. One day, some of the teachers were discussing the fact that we really could learn a lot from one another if we only had the time to do it. Our principal overheard the conversation and said, “You’re right. Let’s make time for doing that.” He called a meeting of the faculty and asked each of us to bring one idea or story about something that was working really well for us in our classrooms. The topic was student behavior.

• The only rule for the session was that no one would be allowed to complain about students or student behavior. Instead, we

• we were to share techniques that were working well when dealing with behavior

• issues. We all sat around and shared our successes. One teacher had the task of recording the ideas and then putting them into a document to share with everyone.

• That one meeting was more productive than any meeting we had ever had. Many of the teachers were amazed at how much there was to learn from people they work with on a daily basis. . One of the keys to the success of this sharing session, of course, was the structure.

• Each had a turn to share one idea, and no one was allowed to gripe

. I hate to admit that it was the first time (and I’ve been teaching a long time) that I’ve ever been a part of such a positive, productive sharing session. Since then, we have decided to hold these sharing sessions monthly. The topics include behavior issues, instructional strategies,getting parents involved, etc. I believe we can all learn from one another, and I have to say that I have really filled my bag of tricks with many of the suggestions from my co-workers. It also makes me feel really good when one of my co-workers says, “I’m using the technique you shared last week, and it’s really working great

In-service structure:

Ten minutes duration. Everyone brings in his classroom management

strategy or techniques prepared to share, Designate someone as facilitator, Designate someone to put together a

document, listing each teacher’s strategy.

Teachers’ Feedbacks • I was walking down the hall the

other day, and a student was running. I noticed that Ms. Barker calmly said, “Thanks, Matt, for remembering that we have to walk in the hallways.” Matt immediately stopped running. It was such a positive approach, and it worked beautifully! She didn’t dare him to do it again. She didn’t appear angry or frustrated. Instead, she thanked him for

• remembering that he shouldn’t be doing what he was doing. Perfect

• While I was observing in Mr. P’s class, a student took out his cell phone and began texting. Mr. P walked up to the student and whispered something to him, and the student put the cell phone away. Because he whispered to the student, I had no idea what he said, but I was surely curious to know. After the observation, I asked Mr. P what he had said to the student. Mr. P told me, “Oh, I just asked him a question. I asked him if he thought he could remember to keep the cell phone in his desk. I told him if he thought he might have trouble remembering, I would be happy to hold it for him until the end of class. He chose to keep the cell phone in his desk.” There was no power struggle. Mr. P simply acted as though he was providing a kind reminder and even being kind enough to offer to hold the phone for the student if need be. It worked!

Participants add

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Implementation

• Assignment: teachers return to classrooms at least with one strategy they have learned.

• Realization,• Schedule for more sessions.• No gripes ,no grievances

Now share your working strategies

Send them to:

• Thanks

Add fourth......................................