A teacher will produce, maintain, and utilize an environment that promotes positive and collaborative team learning. They should also be involved as a community member to inspire and support others, along with themselves. This standard is important as it allows learners, along with educators, to familiarize themselves with each other and be able to efficiently work together. Additionally, everyone can support one another from teachers to students. There are various ways to demonstrate this, such as with a questionnaire to help staff and students get to know one another, monthly collaborations, and class check-ins.
To foster such an environment as the aforementioned, teachers must actively work to understand their students and co-workers. Having a strong and supportive team network is a must of an educational career. Communication is therefore of crucial importance. Teachers should send out a “Getting to Know You!” questionnaire, such as the one I have created, to understand the people in their environment best (for both co-workers, administrators, and students).
I also feel teachers should meet at least once a month with their co-workers. This time
can be short, such as thirty minutes or less, where everyone communicates about goals, issues, needs, experiences, and things that change. My spreadsheet entitled “Monthly Collaboration Meeting” has interactive categories for each of those items and concerns. All faculty in my department could fill this out (including myself) at least once a month and then discuss it in the following meeting. Moreover, this can be used to bring key concerns to school administrators.
Students will also participate in a digital group activity known as Helping Hands: Class Check-In. Students will be assigned in a group with four other classmates. They will pair up two times a month to identify and discuss their strengths, struggles, concerns, stressors, and level of support they are receiving from me. Then, each student will create and submit an individual response after discussing with their group to make sure their concerns and needs are met. They can also add anything they made not have felt comfortable saying with the group. The check-in can be printed on paper or used as my provided Google Form.
Please see my Behavior Management Classroom Organization Plan Overview here.