Personal Steps To Effective Collaboration

After a year of collaboration I feel these are important to me. 

• Build relationships
• Observe the best
• Ask questions
• Share
• Come prepared
• All of the students are "our" students
• Ask, " What will the children get out of this?" "Will this further their learning?" "Why do it?"

Successful collaborative teaching incorporates the strengths of multiple viewpoints so that no single member of the project could have completed independently. It also provides opportunities for different teaching styles that may connect with more student learning preferences and styles. 

Collaborative teaching allows students and teachers to benefit from the healthy exchange of ideas in a space defined by mutual respect and a shared interest in a topic. At its worst, collaborative teaching can create a break down or an uncomfortable environment in which teachers could  undermine each other and compromise the learning community.