Collaboration's the Thing

Collaboration.  That’s what this blog is about.  And collaboration for a specific purpose.  It’s all related to teaching and learning and we’re trying to figure out how to make this relationship benefit both teaching and learning.  We are two elementary teachers supporting children’s literacy in individual and small intervention groups as well as within other teachers’ classrooms.  We think it’s the best of both worlds.  But there’s a lot to figure out.

So, we will be dialoguing with each other in this open forum, so others can also learn from our attempts.  Fasten your seat belts for a fun ride and share your comments along the way.  Let’s start collaborating!

Working Together Can Be a Challenge

            The biggest challenge for me is finding time together.  I have time and Josie has time, but they don’t always match.  During this summer, we are volunteering together at a free summer lunch program for our district, but that time is used for organizing and responding to our numerous wonderful adult and teen volunteers.  I am hoping that a blog (electronic time and space) will help us find a teaching and learning collaboration time. 

            Let’s talk about just getting our blog set up.  I have begun to dread the emails that come holding a potpourri of possible dates to sort through and compare to my calendar.  My calendar seems to be one of the main stumbling blocks.  It’s never quick and easy.  I have to look at all the possible activities and decide which ones I have to do, which ones I want to do, and which ones I can’t do.  The want-to-do-activities seem to be the ones that slide.  I know it seems silly, and I feel a little embarrassed to admit this, but lately my calendar has been giving me great anxiety.  Do you ever feel that way?  Yes, this is my attempt at not feeling alone in this dilemma.

            So the alternative is to try to make one time accomplish two or more things.  This was exactly what happened today.  Today is my once a week volunteer time with the free summer lunch program.  We have an hour of activities followed by a free summer lunch.  After receiving an email from Josie about her can’t-do-times, I hoped to work towards finding a we-both-can time today.  We both brought our computers and Josie pulled up her blog account and invited me to make the blog with her.  So in between greeting volunteers, helping crafts get set up, checking on children, watering plants with the kids in the land lab outside, recording teen volunteer hours, cleaning tables, and putting on bandaids--- we made a blog!

            I have learned the importance of being present and enjoying each activity I attend.  It’s important for the people I am with, and it’s important for me.  And I can’t tell you why, but somehow Josie and I were able to be available for many people, including ourselves.  Something that was becoming frustrating to me, became a triumph today.  I want to keep finding these triumphs in the midst of challenges.  I’m not sure the time issue has been solved, but we made progress.  Thanks, Josie for making it work today.  What are your challenges?