A Guiding Star:Tips for Teachers #2

Team Work is the BEST Way to Work!

Another major contributor to my success this year was being part of a wonderful team.  The team I was a part of should be a model for others to follow, and I say that not because I am a part of that team, but because it is the truth.


My team and I always joke about working "smart," not "hard."  Over the year we met frequently to plan lessons, shared the workload in terms of copies, and were consistent in delivery.  While we all have very different styles of teaching, each student got the same material across 8th grade.  By sharing the work load and planing together we took a challenging and time-consuming component out of teaching and could actually focus on the "teaching" part of being a teacher.  As a result, this year was super smooth.  My challenges this year were never about the "what" in teaching, just the "who" ;-).


The "who" part I discuss in an earlier post, however, part of that challenge was aided in working with my team.  It almost became like a group counseling session for me because I could discuss issues that were coming up in the class and together we were able to come up with solutions.  I was also able to receive encouragement and positive feedback in our meetings.  No matter how a student behaved, I make a mean powerpoint (lol) and that seriously made me feel like a day wasn't a total flop! :-)


The best part of working on a team is that it allows for the opportunity for your strengths to be recognized, shared, and appreciated.  We all have strengths and weaknesses, and each of my teammates have wonderful strengths that I don't have.  Working together, I was able to grow stronger as a teacher because I became better in those areas where I am not naturally strong.


If you are a control freak (which, let's face it, some of us are), you will have to relinquish your control over everything in order to be a good teammate.  That takes a lot of trust in other people, which may be the first step for you.


While you may want to keep hold of the reins on your crazy train, the numbers speak for themselves.  My team and I were consistently the #1 scorers in the district (and that is ALL of our classes, not just one teacher's).  More importantly, we were the most content and stress-free because we did not need to slave after work hours to produce quality lessons. I did not have to stay hours after work hours ONCE!  My first year here, and not once was I here late!!! That is a victory in itself, which is made even grander by the fact that our 8th graders learned SO much!


At a Title I  school we have many battles, but being part of a tight-knit team really helped these kids be more successful.  Our team had precision rotations that targeted student needs and we were all so consistent with delivery that these kids had strategies for reading ingrained on their brains!  We worked smart to help build the students up, and you cannot even imagine the smiles on these kids faces when they passed their standardized tests for the first time... ever!


Say what you will on standardized testing, although I'll leave my two-bits for another post, students, and I mean ALL students, even the ones who pretend not to care, look at those scores and are disappointed when they see "Below Average."  In ANY language or culture, being below standard is not a good thing, and when you are ALWAYS below average, it affects your perception of your self and future you believe are capable of attaining.


Students who, at the beginning of the year, said they were "too stupid" to go to college, now believe in that dream all because they passed their standardized test for the first time.  At the end of 8th grade these students will decide what path they will take as they enter into high school.  Some will choose to fall into a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol because they have already given up, and some will move toward higher education all because they realized that it is possible to make it to college.


I am happy to have been a part of a team that contributed in challenging students to do better, work harder, and mold brighter futures for themselves.  Team work is the best type of work, not just for a teacher, but for the students.  After all, isn't that the reason we are all here... for the betterment of the lives of students?!?!  If you don't do it for yourself, do it for the kids, because they NEED teachers to be on their game so that they can be ready for the future.