3 Ways Administrators Can Foster Teachers’ Collective Efficacy

Imagine a school where classroom doors are open, not just physically, but professionally. Imagine a culture in which peer feedback among educators is the norm, ideas are shared and exchanged without reservation or fear, and teaching and learning are crafts to be collaboratively honed, not hidden away. Imagine the power of moving from conversations about “my students” and “my practice” to those about “our students” and “our practice.” School leaders hold the keys to unlocking a culture of collective efficacy by purposefully engaging teams in practices that shift mindsets, break down barriers, and create opportunities for shared success.

While this vision may seem idealistic, especially considering the time constraints, competing priorities, or current staff dynamics, it is achievable, and more necessary than ever. With purpose and intention, schools can shift from isolation to connection and collaboration, creating environments where educators thrive together.

Working together works, and the research backs it up. A recent study found that teachers who engage in purposeful collaboration are more reflective, more willing to try new strategies, and more likely to improve their craft. Beyond this, the power of collective efficacy is real. Research shows that school leaders play a pivotal role in cultivating collective efficacy due to their influence and as a result of their behaviors.

By acting as lead learners, administrators and instructional coaches can guide teams toward deeper conversations about teacher clarity, credibility, and shared responsibility for student success. The following three strategies offer practical ways to begin the shift from “I” to “we” and “mine” to “ours.”

1. CREATING A COMMON LANGUAGE OF COLLABORATION

Taking the time to speak the same language of school culture, teaching, and learning is an essential first step to strengthen teacher collaboration with the goal of improving student outcomes. According to the Marzano Evaluation Center, establishing this common collaborative language offers significant benefits, including improved teacher clarity, avoidance of miscommunication and misconceptions, a focus on effective teaching practices, a clear systemwide understanding of collective goals, and a means of identifying specific and effective growth feedback for teachers.

Once school personnel begin to speak the same language of teaching and learning, students will benefit from the consistency and will better understand the school’s expectations for what learning looks like and how they can succeed within the system. Dedicating collaborative time to establishing common language for each system of support within the school organization will pay long-term dividends in building teacher credibility and collective efficacy.

One practical way leaders can begin the process of leveraging common language is to align how teachers communicate learning goals to students. For example, school leaders might guide staff in adopting consistent terminology such as “learning intentions” and “success criteria” across all classrooms.

2. LEARNING FROM STUDENT FEEDBACK

We often hear school leaders share that their decisions are based on what’s best for students. While this should always be foundational to the work of schools, how often do leaders and organizations seek direct feedback from the students they serve? Linking walks are a type of learning walk that prioritizes student voice to help schools measure progress toward specific goals and to center school improvement around student voice. This process begins when school teams set clear, time-bound goals.

Then, on a designated day, a team of educators ask simple, student-friendly questions of as many students as possible, ideally gathering input from most students attending school on a given day. These might be questions like “What are you learning about in class right now?” or “Can you name the five citizenship expectations of our school?”

Student responses can be recorded using a simple digital form and then analyzed to determine how well the school is progressing toward its goals. The data collected provides meaningful insight into what is working and what may need to be adjusted. This approach not only provides actionable insights but also elevates student voice in the school improvement process.

For example, while serving as principal at an elementary school, I helped conduct a family perception survey which found that a higher-than-expected rate of responses indicated that students did not feel safe at school. The school team decided to put this question to students during a linking walk by asking them directly. After collecting student responses from almost every student in the school, it was found that family perceptions and student responses were significantly different. An overwhelming majority of students reported feeling safe at school. School personnel were able to follow up directly with any student who responded “no” to better understand their feelings and provide an immediate system of support.

This process provided staff assurances that most students did, in fact, feel safe at school while also unearthing an area of focus in improving communication with families about the school’s efforts to maintain a safe school environment.

3. UNDERSTANDING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Another type of collaborative learning walk called a ghost walk takes place in classrooms or other learning spaces when students are not present. The goal is to explore a learning environment through the senses of both a learner and a professional, gaining insight into how each space uniquely supports teaching and learning. Educators observe the learning space with the purpose of noticing what is objectively communicated about learning, engagement, and classroom culture with no explanation from the space’s occupants.

After the walk, the observer can share thoughtful feedback, questions, and observations with the teacher whose space was visited. This reflective process allows teachers to learn from one another in a new way and can help them collectively design more intentional learning environments.

Effective leaders prioritize collaborative school cultures as more than a onetime initiative. They establish a continuous commitment to growth. In collaborative cultures, teaching and learning are not just student-facing ideas; educators should be actively engaged in the work of professional development and improvement.

Shifting the school culture from isolation to collaboration elevates the school’s collective success. Great leaders know that collaboration is not just a strategy. It is a mindset that transforms schools into communities of positive engagement and shared achievement.