Strategy of the Week #3 Collaborative Planning

Strategy of the Week #3 Collaborative Planning

(adapted from Jim Knight and Richard Dufour)

Collaboration: People working together as partners, reflecting, and co-creating together.

Why is collaboration  important?

• Collaboration makes it possible for teachers to engage in reflective dialogue.
• Collaboration provides a give and take dialogue, where people share so freely it is difficult to identify where an idea originated.
• Collaboration keeps an emphasis on student learning.
• Collaboration focuses on the relevant question “How can we best get results?”
• Collaboration results in a “we” mentality.
• Collaboration allows sharing of research-based practice and helps teachers to continue with professional growth.

Successful collaboration looks like...

• Members of the team are prepared with curriculum frameworks, pacing guides, ideas.
• Members have a working knowledge of the curriculum or SOLs.
• Teams speak a common language.
• Participation is equal among members.  There is no one person who is the expert.
• Teams are planning forward.  While past plans may be referenced, team members understand that effective planning focuses on the present students, environments, and challenges.
• Teams identify a clear learning objective to drive the planning.
• Members are committed to the process.
• Members ask the hard questions “Did our lesson work?”  “Did the students demonstrate their learning?”  “How do we know the students know?”

Steps to Setting up for Collaboration

• Identify the times and places that you will meet for planning.
• Establish your norms and procedures
• How each other accountable.  Everyone’s time is equally valued.
• Focus on the objective.  Instruction should match the objective.
• Share responsibilities among the team members.

If you are interested in discussing collaboration, be sure to fill out the Partnership Interest Form below.  I would love to support you! Partnership Interest Form