Collaboration+NO!

Anne Jolly, recently asked teachers on the Teacher Leaders Network this question, "Why don't teachers like to collaborate together?" Here are some of the responses. See if any resonate with you.

Powerful points about teacher frustrations with collaboration - frustrations that lead to a preference for working alone in some cases. These include. ..

1. Not knowing what collaboration really means 2. Not knowing what is actually expected from those collaborating 3. Insufficient implementation support 4. Not finding real value in collaboration 5. Different teaching philosophies among participants/ little to share 6. Doesn't spring from teacher's needs 7. Dictates and limits from administrators about content for collaborative meetings 8. Teachers left out of decision-making 9. Lack of modeling/understanding of collaboration by administrators 10. Need space to be creative - tricky to do this in teams 11. Lack of training for collaboration 12. Lack of trust and comfort in sharing with other teachers - feeling threatened 13. Not enough time 14. Getting everyone on the team on the same page is hard 15. "I don't like meetings!" :-) - a waste of time that could be spent grading and preparing 16. Need more time for self-reflection rather than group reflection 17. Others on the team pass off other's work as their own 18. Too much talk and not enough action 19. Not enough clout - except in the classroom 20. One person does all the work 21. Merit pay breeds competitiveness rather than sharing 22. The education system is designed for isolation - and the status quo is strong 23. The atmosphere can be punitive 24. The school setting doesn't support collaboration 25. Teachers are overwhelmed and trying to survive difficult situations 26. Lack of communication about changes and the reason for changes

Teachers felt collaboration works at times, such as when. . . 1. Teachers see value in the collaboration 2. Teachers have similar teaching philosophies and complementary skills 3. Collaboration is more natural and spontaneous than structured 4. Collaboration springs from teachers' needs 5. Collaboration is not mandated 6. Teachers make decisions about what they collaborate on 7. Administrators practice what they preach 8. The atmosphere is trusting, respectful, and comforting 9. The school is successful at supporting collaboration 10. Teachers have time to think through together what they want for their kids 11. There is time for introspection as well as collaboration