How much do your colleagues influence your teaching?

I agree with Jill e, 4th grade teacher. I enjoy collaborating with teachers I find engaged in teaching and who are innovators. I am an itinerant teacher that serves deaf and hard of hearing students and can feel isolated; however, when I connect with teachers that are both in my field as well as in general education good things happen, for me and the students I serve.

Great Post.I like the link.Now expecting some good ideas from your upcoming post
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My team of 4th grade teachers supports each other emotionally and professionally. We share lessons, ideas and knowledge. If one of us is reading a book or learns something new on edutopia, we share and begin implementing the latest best practices. We plan projects together and are implementing emotional intelligence in our classrooms. Without the collaboration of my team, it would be hard to sustain the high energy level and creativity required to motivate and teach elementary students.

While it may appear that good teaching is contagious, it is just as likely if not more so that the intentional hiring of highly effective teachers signals that the administration is serious about improving things and supporting all of their teachers.

It goes back to what they told us in college: Avoid the Teacher's Lounge. I find that my mood is much improved if I stay away from the negativity in my own school. I've resorted to eating lunch alone and minimizing contact with negative people. That being said, it makes my day to collaborate with colleagues who also get excited about the content and incorporating tech in the classroom. In these days where standardized tests reign supreme it is a waste of both time and energy to focus on the negative. Happy teachers produce successful students.