Collaborative Teaching

The term "collaborative teaching" is becoming very loosely used as of late- not really having a stand alone term that truly defines it. This is because, I believe, that no two teachers collaboratively teach exactly like another two teachers.

At the school I work at, I teach in a year 5/6 syndicate with 3 other teachers, who are a lot more experienced than myself. We all have different styles of teaching and over the years they have learnt what not to do/what things work better. For me, working alongside them in a collaborative environment is a bonus- I learn so much from them! Instead of being shut inside your single cell classroom awaiting the horrors that are going to occur, I have support- constantly! This is what collaborative teaching is for me, it's all about the underlying support that you have from and for the fellow teachers in your syndicate and within your school.

When people ask my: Is it hard working collaboratively? My response... YES!  It is, but it is so worth it. With the support I have from my collaborative teaching partner, I am able to learn in a more productive way than I would in a single cell class. It doesn't daunt me when I am being observed anymore because, you are being constantly observed anyway! The feedback I receive is daily instead of once every now and again, and my feedback to my collaborative teaching partner is also valued- no matter how different our experience levels are.

I'm still a BT and without the support of my team and teaching partner- I'd be half-way lost, buried in a deepening hole of stress and worry. Not to say, I don't stress and worry now, I do, but I have guidance to get through it everyday.

Teaching collaboratively has been an exhausting, stressful and challenging journey so far. However, I love coming to school everyday- knowing that I don't have to teach these kids on my own, knowing that my co-teacher is there for me, knowing that I will make it out alive.
It won't always be happy smiles and wonderful days, don't get me wrong, we have bad days too. Someone else is just there with you. They can back you up. You're exposed to ways of teaching you never dreamed of. You develop strong rapports with a wider range of children and they learn that "Hey! Working alongside this child and this child isn't really so bad".

You may not accomplish as much as fast in a collaborative environment as you would in a single cell classroom, but we teachers, and the children are going to be better prepared for the future. The skills being developed will take everyone further than before!