Do You Have a Teaching Partner?
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Stop and think about this question for a minute - Do you have a relationship with another colleague or team of teachers that you collaborate with on a regular basis?
I’m not talking about swapping worksheets to give students or comparing data at a meeting. I mean diving into planning a project together, formulating a unit of study, presenting on or attending professional development opportunities. Maybe you’re a veteran teacher and if you feel like you don’t need to “rely” on someone else or you’re the opposite - a new teacher and you haven’t found that someone yet. Well I have a goal for you - find a colleague that can become your teaching partner.
Surround yourself with people who are like-minded. They are there for the kids!
Try bouncing teaching ideas off people. Are they eager to plan with you? Do they encourage you to build on your ideas? Or better yet, they help shape your ideas into something even better!
Ask this person to try planning an activity with you! Maybe they aren’t on your grade level? That’s ok! How can you collaborate? Think reading buddies, social-emotional learning buddies, community service project, project-based learning across content areas?
Above all, find someone who’s going to encourage you, lift you up, and make you a better teacher!
We can’t do this teaching thing alone. You need people who you can talk to during the hard days, encourage you to run with “crazy” ideas, and help create a community within your teaching circle. So go out there. Find your teaching partner. And if you already have one, how can you create more together?
