Relationships with Colleagues
Scenario
“At the staff Professional Development day of term one Amy had to stop herself from laughing out loud when another teacher confronted her and asked her to remove herself from his chair, what she thought was a joke was serious and she soon felt all the eyes of the staff on her”
Staffroom Etiquette
Staffrooms can be very daunting places for new graduate teachers who do not know the existence of certain unspoken ‘codes of behaviours’. The following advice has been adapted from Handley (2010) and outlines some of these "unspoken codes":
Do not just use any mug
Existing teachers may have their own mugs that they use and they can be quite attached to them. It is important to ensure that you investigate whether teachers have their own mugs, or even favourite mugs they use on a daily basis. On the first day, inspect the ‘mug behaviours’ of your colleagues. There might be mugs used for visitors, or mugs right at the back that no one uses. You may also need to consider bringing in your own mug just to be safe. Do not under estimate the importance of a teachers mug!
Find out what the arrangements are for tea, coffee and milk
Make sure you establish who looks after the tea, coffee and milk. It could be a collective responsibility in which staff members take it in turn to buy these essentials or there might be a donation box designated in the staffroom. In some schools, the office staff will take care of it, but it is important to get to know what rules are in place so you can successfully contribute.
Make sure you do not sit in someone else’s ‘seat’
As petty as this sounds, it is better to wait it out in the first few days rather than upsetting the status quo. Remember some of these teachers would have been at the school for years and hence will have developed certain habits and routines. To avoid this, wait until everyone is seated, make a coffee, use the bathroom or keep busy and once it is clear everyone is seated, you can make your move.
Use one seat
Try not to spread your belongings across the table or multiple seats. Seats are often in short supply and are a valued commodity. Use them wisely.
Never eat the last piece of chocolate cake
Staffrooms often put on morning teas for birthdays or special occasions and as much as healthy eating is promoted in schools, teachers are always going to celebrate with sweets – it’s a part of life. No matter how hard it is, never take more than is expected, especially if you have not contributed in buying the treats.
Clean up after yourself
Never leave dirty items in the sink. It goes without saying in any staff area in any profession, but be vigilant. Investigate and adopt the rules and routines for cleaning up. You may want to consider the following questions; do stages or classes take it in turn to pack and unpack the dishwasher? Are people responsible for their own plates and cutlery?
Be aware of who is in the staffroom
We all need to vent about things that occur in the classroom, but before you do, consider whether that person or any child for that matter is present. Also consider whether it is appropriate to talk about the issue with members of staff. Remember to be considerate of student and teacher privacy.
Watch how long other people stay in the staffroom
Keep an eye on how long other teachers stay in the office and try to follow suit, after all, we all have planning to do and we want to make sure we keep it up in order to look professional and committed.
Do not just use any mug
Existing teachers may have their own mugs that they use and they can be quite attached to them. It is important to ensure that you investigate whether teachers have their own mugs, or even favourite mugs they use on a daily basis. On the first day, inspect the ‘mug behaviours’ of your colleagues. There might be mugs used for visitors, or mugs right at the back that no one uses. You may also need to consider bringing in your own mug just to be safe. Do not under estimate the importance of a teachers mug!
Find out what the arrangements are for tea, coffee and milk
Make sure you establish who looks after the tea, coffee and milk. It could be a collective responsibility in which staff members take it in turn to buy these essentials or there might be a donation box designated in the staffroom. In some schools, the office staff will take care of it, but it is important to get to know what rules are in place so you can successfully contribute.
Make sure you do not sit in someone else’s ‘seat’
As petty as this sounds, it is better to wait it out in the first few days rather than upsetting the status quo. Remember some of these teachers would have been at the school for years and hence will have developed certain habits and routines. To avoid this, wait until everyone is seated, make a coffee, use the bathroom or keep busy and once it is clear everyone is seated, you can make your move.
Use one seat
Try not to spread your belongings across the table or multiple seats. Seats are often in short supply and are a valued commodity. Use them wisely.
Never eat the last piece of chocolate cake
Staffrooms often put on morning teas for birthdays or special occasions and as much as healthy eating is promoted in schools, teachers are always going to celebrate with sweets – it’s a part of life. No matter how hard it is, never take more than is expected, especially if you have not contributed in buying the treats.
Clean up after yourself
Never leave dirty items in the sink. It goes without saying in any staff area in any profession, but be vigilant. Investigate and adopt the rules and routines for cleaning up. You may want to consider the following questions; do stages or classes take it in turn to pack and unpack the dishwasher? Are people responsible for their own plates and cutlery?
Be aware of who is in the staffroom
We all need to vent about things that occur in the classroom, but before you do, consider whether that person or any child for that matter is present. Also consider whether it is appropriate to talk about the issue with members of staff. Remember to be considerate of student and teacher privacy.
Watch how long other people stay in the staffroom
Keep an eye on how long other teachers stay in the office and try to follow suit, after all, we all have planning to do and we want to make sure we keep it up in order to look professional and committed.
How does this relate to the National Professional Standards for Teachers?
Professional Engagement
Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/caregivers and the community.
Focus: Meet Professional ethics and responsibilities
Graduate: 7.1.1 Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.
Focus: Meet Professional ethics and responsibilities
Graduate: 7.1.1 Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.
Scenario
"Amy's supervisor had not even asked her, her name”.
Confidence with Colleagues
Confidence can impact how you are perceived by fellow staff members. Instead of waiting timidly to be approached by other teachers, introduce yourself, let them know you are here to help and learn with them. Following is a list of ways to be confident without being arrogant or pushy, adapted from Bluestein (2011).
- The greater your sense of yourself as a professional, the more likely others will perceive and treat you as one. Be confident in your abilities and place in the school. You are a qualified teacher who has a lot to offer!
- Respect the established relationships and dynamics, whilst still being open and friendly.
- Initiate conversations, join in school and social activities, and progressively get to know the teachers individually.
- Be wary in setting expectations, making demands or imposing your values and priorities on others.
- Pay attention to how much of the conversation is about you. Refrain from consistently complaining about students, school policy, other teachers or parents and how often you feel the need to share the details of your classroom experiences and accomplishments. Be modest.
- Lack of confidence typically presents itself in the form of validations that suggest that “everyone seems to know what they’re doing except me” or arrogance like “no one around here cares, works or tries as much as I do.” Neither attitude is likely to improve a professional image or your relationships with other teachers.
- Approach other teachers with a mixture of confidence and honesty. You may be new and willing to grow, but you are also a very capable person and you belong there as much as anyone.
How does this relate to the National Professional Standards for Teachers?
Professional Engagement
Standard 6: Engage in Professional Learning
Focus: Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Graduate: 6.3.1 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
Focus: Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Graduate: 6.3.1 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
Scenario
“Any teaching ‘tricks’ that she had picked up through her Professional Experiences and Internship were no longer working and because the classes weren’t set she didn’t have a grade partner to collaborate with although she had been assigned a supervisor”
Sharing Resources
Meaningful learning for children and adults almost always happens in a collaborative context (Dunn, Harrison & McClelland 2012). Working collaboratively with fellow teachers can improve your teaching dramatically, however, some teachers may be unwilling to share resources or simply just do not know how to work effectively together. This section will shed light on ways to collaborate with such colleagues.
Today there are less confronting ways to collaborate effectively with other teachers. There are online resources, which, if utilized correctly enables significant collaboration of ideas and resources to enhance your teaching. This allows you to collaborate with teachers from all over the world, not just your school and when shared with other staff members you are sure to impress. Following is a list of websites that enable effective and meaningful collaboration.
Today there are less confronting ways to collaborate effectively with other teachers. There are online resources, which, if utilized correctly enables significant collaboration of ideas and resources to enhance your teaching. This allows you to collaborate with teachers from all over the world, not just your school and when shared with other staff members you are sure to impress. Following is a list of websites that enable effective and meaningful collaboration.
Online collaborative networks
www.diigo.com
Diigo is an online tool that allows teachers to share resources with each other. Create your own page and introduce it to staff members. Tell them that they can access anything they want. Briefly explain how the website works and how to sign up because it is all free. Click on the link below to view the Diigo "how to" video: www.diigo.com/learn_more/share |
www.teacherjotter.com
Similarly, teacher jotter allows you to share sources such as examples of best practice, lesson plans and learning materials as well as access resources shared by other teachers (depending on your level of membership). It is easy to use and you can search for other teachers at your school who have uploaded resources and they can search for your resources. |
How does this relate to the National Professional Standards for Teachers?
Professional Engagement
Standard 6: Engage in Professional Learning
Focus: Engage in professional learning and improve practice.
Graduate: 6.2.1 Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Focus: Apply professional learning and improve student learning.
Graduate: 6.4.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
Focus: Engage in professional learning and improve practice.
Graduate: 6.2.1 Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Focus: Apply professional learning and improve student learning.
Graduate: 6.4.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
Dealing With Other Teachers Comments And Criticism
“Amy believed in collaborative learning and on Friday afternoon after the final bell she (to some of the teachers’ surprise) rearranged the desks and she finally got to unpack the resources she had bought. She hung bright and colourful posters and soon some of the Year 3 and 4 teachers had begun to drift into Amy’s room. They were curious as to where their students from last year had been placed. ‘I could NEVER control my students if they were sitting this way,’ said one. Another seemed almost so angry that Amy could do anything so bold. Had she made a mistake? She did not think so. ‘Oh you have Katie! You’ll just LOVE HER. She really enjoys being the teachers helper. Why, she can almost run the classroom if you have to step out.’ ‘Oh good, you have Sally. She doesn’t do anything but read, read and read. You will just love her. She NEVER talks…’ ‘You’ll have to do some extra work with Dale. He joined us last year, DOCS removed him from his mother and he is living with his maternal grandparents now, he’s about 18 months behind in his outcomes.’ Oh no you have Sam! Poor Sam! You know he has Aspergers don’t you? You do know how to handle children with this syndrome don’t you?’ Amy didn’t answer. She was tired of being treated like a first year pre-service teacher instead of a graduate and colleague. On and on went the comments.”
When you are ‘the new kid on the block’ in the school workplace, it is common to receive both ‘wanted’ and ‘unwanted’ advice about how to manage your class and the way you do things. It is hard to be at the other end of these ‘helpful’ and sometimes ‘not so helpful’ comments but as teachers we must look on the positive side. You should look at this as a form of reflective practice. Reflection is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Reflective practice is an important tool that enables educators to reflect on their practical experiences within the classroom and wider school environment. Reflection on practice allows teachers to reflect on how they are connecting with students in an effective and meaningful way, in order to enhance their pedagogical practices and the learning outcomes for all students (Taole, 2012). The notion that reflection is an important tool for educators to improve their teaching practices is supported by the idea that “knowledge is constructed, built on prior knowledge coupled with experience, transformed and evolving” (Harrington, 1990, p 1-2).
All teachers, including beginning teachers like Amy, must understand that it is vital that they reflect on their practice in collaboration with their colleagues (Killen, 2007). This type of reflective practice is critical in contributing to the body of knowledge that comprises both teaching and learning (Killen, 2007). Furthermore, teachers must reflect on their teaching practices as it enables them to develop a strong sense of their own professional values and educational beliefs from practical experiences (Brady, 2003).
When you are ‘the new kid on the block’ in the school workplace, it is common to receive both ‘wanted’ and ‘unwanted’ advice about how to manage your class and the way you do things. It is hard to be at the other end of these ‘helpful’ and sometimes ‘not so helpful’ comments but as teachers we must look on the positive side. You should look at this as a form of reflective practice. Reflection is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Reflective practice is an important tool that enables educators to reflect on their practical experiences within the classroom and wider school environment. Reflection on practice allows teachers to reflect on how they are connecting with students in an effective and meaningful way, in order to enhance their pedagogical practices and the learning outcomes for all students (Taole, 2012). The notion that reflection is an important tool for educators to improve their teaching practices is supported by the idea that “knowledge is constructed, built on prior knowledge coupled with experience, transformed and evolving” (Harrington, 1990, p 1-2).
All teachers, including beginning teachers like Amy, must understand that it is vital that they reflect on their practice in collaboration with their colleagues (Killen, 2007). This type of reflective practice is critical in contributing to the body of knowledge that comprises both teaching and learning (Killen, 2007). Furthermore, teachers must reflect on their teaching practices as it enables them to develop a strong sense of their own professional values and educational beliefs from practical experiences (Brady, 2003).
How does this relate to the National Professional Standards for Teachers?
Professional Engagement
Standard 6: Engage in Professional Learning
Focus : Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Graduate: 6.3.1 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
Focus : Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Graduate: 6.3.1 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.