Teacher Collaboration

1301 Words3 Pages

Today’s school climate demands collaboration, teachers can no longer work in isolation. Why? Collaboration can be defined as, “teams of teachers who work interdependently to achieve common goals – goals linked to the purpose of learning for all – for which members are held mutually accountable” (DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker, 2004, p. ). Handy ( ) stated that people who collaborate learn from each other and create synergy. Futernick (2007) “after surveying 2,000 current and former teachers in California, concluded that teachers felt greater personal satisfaction when they believed in their own efficacy, were involved in decision making, and established strong collegial relationships. What are the benefits of teacher collaboration? Goddard, …show more content…

Levin and Schrum (2017) describe norming where people feel like members of a team and realize as members of the team they can achieve work if they can accept other team members viewpoints. In this stage, members begin to accept others as they are and make an effort to be themselves and move on. Members must be focused on preventing conflict they are reluctant to share any controversial ideas. Tuckman’s fourth stage of group development is performing. Levin and Schrum (2017) describe this stage as where team members work in an open and trusting atmosphere where flexibility is the key and hierarchy is of little importance. Performing teams are more competent, autonomous and able to handle decision-making without supervision, also dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is harnessed through acceptable team norms. Tuckman’s initial research was conducted in the 1960s and it is still relevant in today’s educational climate. According to Levin and Schrum (2017), teacher leaders can help groups develop by performing the …show more content…

As teams grow through the development phases, they are able to begin to confront the brutal facts of their current reality and hopefully grow students. This is so true when it comes to the stages of group development.

Building Capacity

Implications to Educators

Summary

References
Anrig, G. (2015). How we know collaboration works. Educational Leadership 72(5), 30-35.
Bonebright, D.A. (2010). 40 years of storming: A historical review of Tuckman’s model of small group development. Human Resource Development International 13(1), 111-120.
Bryk, A., Sebring, P.B., Allensworth, E., & Easton, J.Q. (2010). Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Collins, J. (2001) Good to great: Why some companies make the leap…and others don’t. New York: Harper Collins.
Levin B.B., & Schrum L. (2017). Every teacher a leader: Developing the needed dispositions, knowledge, and skills for teacher leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Mourshed, M., Chijioke, C., Barber, M. (2010). How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better. Washington DC: McKinsey and Company.
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6),

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