At a recent training, I was asked to consider the following question: Why do we want teachers to work in teams? It was something that made me stop and think for a second. I promote teacher teams and professional learning communities and have written about them often. I guess I assumed that we all knew why teachers working collaboratively in teams was so important, but I’m not sure I had ever really articulated why I felt that way.
What I learned was that my opinions about the importance of teacher teams actually had research to back it up. Teachers who work independently can have profound effects on student achievement, but teachers who work collaboratively with one another have a much greater impact. If our primary focus is our students and what we want is for them to succeed, then strong collaborative teacher teams are best for students. Therefore, teachers should work collaboratively to improve outcomes.
The truth of the matter is that collaboration is not an option for teams—it’s a must. We know student learning is deeper and stronger when teams of students work together and collaborate to solve problems. If it is better for students, then shouldn’t we expect the same from our teachers?
If you accept the fact that teams must collaborate together, you must also accept the fact that sometimes teams cannot do this very well. Most schools I have been part of have had teams that were very cohesive and other teams that were less than cohesive. But this doesn’t mean teachers should quit teaming and teach in isolation. The good news is that teams can learn to be better, more efficient, and more collaborative.
Cohesive teams take time, work, and energy, but maybe most of all they take structure. If leaders of teams are able to provide a consistent and reliable structure, it can impact the effectiveness of all the teams within a school district. This is true whether it's a PLC or a district committee—all of these teams need to have structure, and outcomes will be better if structures are in place.
Putting all this time and work into making teams better is worth it in the end. By doing so, we will be able to keep teams running smoothly year after year. By putting in the heavy lifting at the start of the process, it pays off in the end when teams can work collaboratively and independently.
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