The Need for Collaboration

Sitting here, quiet, in my classroom during this week of CST testing has got me thinking about how collaborating and talking with others should be an essential part of student learning. I sit here and try to think of ideas and work on lesson plans for my up coming units and I get some things accomplished, but I am seldom satisfied with the work I complete. I am not yet positively certain that what I have thought of is the best idea for my classroom.

During my prep periods, today and other days of this week, I do have the opportunity to talk with my cooperating teachers about my upcoming units. During this time, I feel as though I able to accomplish so much more than if I were to just think to myself about the unit plans. I have the opportunity to ask questions, bounce ideas of them, explain to them my thoughts, and hear their thoughts about my suggestions and the unit.

The time I spend collaborating and talking with my teacher, to me, is obviously 10 times more productive to what I am trying to accomplish. I learn much more from talking to them than spending time alone myself. I may have made this point before, but I also are beginning to believe that it is of great importance in the world of learning.

In comparison to what I am doing and what my students are doing in the classroom I teach in, it may be more similar than different. Currently, I am learning. I am learning how to become an effective teacher and about all of the information that goes along with it. My students are also learning. They are learning how to be an effective mathematician and student. The connection to be made is an obvious one. It is extremely beneficial to me, personally, to be able to talk to others about the information I am learning, therefore when students are learning it could also be very beneficial for them to be able to discuss and collaborate with others.

This was just a thought running through my mind as I sit here, hoping my students do well on their CSTs!