Today’s teachers and school administrators highly value collaboration due to the numerous benefits it offers for teacher development and improving student learning outcomes. While teachers have historically worked independently for the most part, it is becoming more popular for teachers to work in teams.
Proponents of teacher collaboration believe that teachers working together have a positive impact on each other and contribute naturally to school improvement. Specific types of teacher collaboration include working together in teams, sharing responsibilities, providing feedback and building trust.
Through completing the online Master of Science in Education (MSE) in Educational Leadership program from Arkansas State University (A-State), you will learn how to build effective learning communities and foster collaborative workplace cultures in schools. Through these processes, you can contribute to student success through the structural development of schools and the teachers working within them.
Why Is Teacher Collaboration Important? The Emotional Benefits
Teacher collaboration can be essential for teachers’ emotional wellbeing. Teaching can be exhausting and emotionally draining. Whether it’s a particularly challenging student or balancing work and home life (or both), stress is part of the job, and other teachers are invaluable sources of support.
When teachers depend on one another for support, they develop relationships based on trust and empathy. These regular interactions are important in forming lasting professional and mentorship relationships. When teachers feel supported, they can better extend that same support to their students.
Moreover, research demonstrates a significant and positive relationship between teacher collaboration and teachers’ career wellbeing as well as teacher self-efficacy. Effective distributed leadership also bolsters these connections, suggesting that school leaders who encourage collaboration and empower teachers to take on leadership roles can maximize the positive emotional impacts of teacher collaboration. Along with offering tangible benefits like improved retention, teacher development and student learning, supporting teacher wellbeing through increased collaboration is a critical goal of professional, compassionate and ethical leadership.
How to Collaborate With Other Teachers? Technology as a Tool for Connection
Technology can support increased interaction and communication between overworked teachers. Face-to-face interactions are essential for building a supportive and collaborative work environment in schools. Yet, busy teachers often struggle to carve out free time for in-person get-togethers, whether in or out of the classroom.
Technology tools allow teachers to connect in meaningful yet efficient ways that can, to a degree, minimize additional stress to time management. Plus, digital communication tools are necessary to facilitate collaboration and engage teachers in remote or hybrid education settings.
For instance, technology now allows us to collaborate virtually via Google Docs, Trello and a number of other online sharing platforms. Teachers can communicate easily online by exchanging email, sharing documents, helping to edit worksheets or even sharing funny videos. This is a great way to connect and to develop personal relationships with other educators when time or other circumstances don’t allow for more in-person interaction.
Distributed Leadership and Cooperative Teaching Strategies: Delegate Tasks Based on Strengths
When teachers collaborate, the interests, backgrounds and strengths of each teacher can contribute to a project. If teachers work in a team, they can delegate tasks according to the personality and expertise of each team member, be it curriculum management, instructional coaching or digital literacy education.
This type of teamwork contributes to a greater sense of trust and accountability, and it allows teachers to feel confident about contributing their most dynamic skills toward school improvement. Delegating leadership responsibilities and tasks also empowers teachers and drives personal and professional growth, supporting the relationship between collaboration, wellbeing and self-efficacy, as discussed above.
Discover How to Support Collaborative Teaching and Professional Learning With an MSE
In an online master’s degree in educational leadership program, you will likely explore the benefits of teacher collaboration. When educators work together, they form important professional and personal relationships. Teachers often draw support from each other and can delegate tasks that allow each teacher to feel productive and valued.
Teacher collaboration is not merely a buzzword, nor should it be an empty promise. When encouraged and supported by educational leaders, intentional and meaningful collaboration between teachers contributes to teacher wellbeing and development, school improvement and student success.
Learn more about Arkansas State University’s online MSE in Educational Leadership program.