In a faculty room you share the cool things your students are doing in your classroom; hear about struggles; or express what’s on your mind?

Going to the faculty room is important, but maybe not for the reasons you think.

In teaching, we spend a great deal of the day surrounded by hundreds of students, but in isolation from other teachers. This is why we should visit the faculty room.

CONNECTIONS—Nothing joins people together like talk of sports or Survivor, neither of which I like, but these interactions create continued connections that, in turn, create a sense of comfort. No need for a rope course to create a team. Go to the Faculty Room.

COMFORT—Once the connections are made, comfort will set in. Some call this “team mentality” but I see it more as a comfort mentality since teachers are already in the profession for the same reason. It is just a matter of a marriage of teaching styles. And that new teacher…once he/she feels comfortable, he/she will ask questions, seek support, further his/her teaching craft.

COLLEGIALITY—the third, and ultimate, step. This step involves teachers working together on a common goal, sharing ideas. Before you can be a team, you have to feel connected. And when teachers have the comfort of a team, it allows for collegial work. Through collegial work, research, integration, weaving, and otherwise brilliant teacher magicary, teachers will create a school that can impact student learning.

So if you have not been to the Faculty Room, I suggest you go. Even if it means listening to last week’s episode of Dancing with the Stars. Arrrrrrrg!

But right now, share what’s on your mind, regardless of how random. What cool things are happening in your classroom? What obstacles have you seen lately? What is your opinion on the state of education? What funny thing did a student say (middle-schoolers are always coming up with the best similes: His head was like a ball except that it was more square). 

Thanks for the dialogue. These shared thoughts may become future posts or discussions. Check back and keep the Faculty Room going.

Comments

I would argue, Bob, that most people who enter the profession do so because they have an inherent drive to connect with people. I worry that those who have time management concerns that make them work through lunch their whole career might benefit from a little balance.

Teachers are human beings, too, despite the sentiment from much of society that we are higher-salary-demanding leaving-kids-behind teaching-to-the-test complainers who only work nine months a year. In order to be a good teacher, I've learned, I must have balance and not be a martyr for other people's children. Sometimes that means putting off a stack of papers to go to the zoo with my family or delaying entering grades because my son wants to build a fort. I've decided that I can handle an angry parent wanting to know why something isn't graded yet. I simply could not stomach one of my sons turning to me in twenty years and asking why I didn't make more time for him. As much as society and this profession expects us to eat, breathe, and sleep for our students... doing so drives good teachers to ruin or (in better economic times) straight out of the business.

(deep breath...)

Cute cartoon! Respectfully, some teachers (people) like and are productive working alone, even though most teachers and teacher prep faculty appear to prefer working as groupers. Some people don't like groupthink or communitas, so they have other time management priorities than time in the faculty room. What's wrong with working alone, if that's what a teacher wants to do and students meet performance criteria?

One of my colleague's is experiencing difficulty in figuring out how to differentiate within the classroom. The writing abilities of the students in the class is vast: some cannot create sentences consistently, others are employing literary techniques like foreshadow and figurative language. The grade level is 6th grade. 6th grade is often a transition year for students from the elementary model to the secondary model. IT is often the first time students have more than one teacher or are learning complicated, hard concepts. It seems the academic expectations jump at this point, not to say that it was "weak" before, but the system expects a leap of learning in this grade. Those who do well, do well in seventh grade where it is a shock for parents and students because of the secondary model. How best to differentiate for those below grade level and those above, while meeting the needs of all students, while teaching the curriculum. Thoughts?

I'd venture that there IS a correlation between whether teachers have connections with other colleagues and how long they stay in the profession. I was one of those first year teachers who was wrestled out of my room (out back of the building in a leaky portable, no less) to go to the staff room for lunch. I still remember the two teachers who persuaded me to do so, and probably never appropriately thanked them.

I have a great lunch crew right now--and I'm lucky that when we do talk about kids or curriculum, it always spins toward problem solving as opposed to spiraling negativity...which has been the case before in other groups. It is so rejuvenating to have adult conversations where we can level-headedly discuss politics or pedagogy, religion or family, whatever we want...no one ever leaves with their feelings hurt over some disagreement, because disagreements get handled like adults--not always what we get in the classroom or even the main office. Yes, there are moments where it takes a turn for the silly and even obscene, but I wouldn't trade it. Many times I've hustled out at the bell, aching from hearty laughter. Best of all, I know that around that lunch table are a group of teachers to whom I could turn for professional advice if I needed it, thanks to the camaraderie formed in that 25 minutes of duty-free lunch.

...I know this isn't exactly what the original post from Travis was really asking for, but I though I'd share anyway (that's what the faculty room is for, right?)

Ohhhh, a research topic. I like that.

Love the cartoon Travis! Spot on-------
If you don't visit the faculty room you begin to feel like you are one man (or woman in my case) on an island. The job can get very lonely without other adult connections. I wonder ---------- if those of us that visit the faculty room stay in education longer? This would be an interesting research project.

Travis -

I agree with your take on the faculty room. At my school there isn't a single faculty room but dept. offices where a lot goes on in the morning and at lunch. It is at these places where I've built my greatest partnerships among other teachers. The sharing of ideas has been the most valuable aspect for my teaching, I need these interactions among my peers.