Standard Six: Developing as a Professional Educator
6.5 Working with colleagues to improve professional practice
Description of Practice
Strong Practice that Exemplifies the Standard
The teacher engages in dialogue and reflection with colleagues, collaborates with staff to meet students' needs, and contributes to school-wide and district-wide decision making, events, and professional development.
Maturing Practice
The teacher engages in dialogue with colleagues, collaborates with staff to meet students' needs, and participates in school-wide events.
Developing Practice
the teacher engages in dialogue with some colleagues, seeks out staff to help meet students' needs, and participates in some school-wide events.
Practice Not Consistent with Standard Expectations
the teacher rarely converses with colleagues, rarely seeks out other staff to meet students needs, and rarely participates in school or district events or learning activities.
What the classroom looks like
- Collaborates with colleagues for the benefit of the entire instructional program
- Works with specialist, school committees, curriculum projects, paraprofessional and other educators
- Is aware of the instructional approach being used by specialists working with students in their classroom and keeps close communications
- Is familiar with who else on staff has specialized expertise
- Develops and shares one's own expertise
- Works with veteran teachers to effectively implement strategies to the educational environment
- Concentrates on collaboration with colleagues that directly benefits students
- Gains experience and develops confidence in their own skills
As teachers develop, they may ask, "How do I . . ." or "Why do I . . ."
- create opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues?
- collaborate with teachers, administrators, education specialists, and paraprofessionals to ensure that all students' diverse learning needs are met?
- engage in thoughtful dialogue and reflection with colleagues to solve teaching- related problems?
- participate in making and implementing school-wide decisions?
- contribute to school-wide events and learning activities?
- establish and maintain relationships with other school staff to become a visible and valued member of the school community ?
- use observations of colleagues to improve my teaching?
- prevent and resolve personal and professional conflicts with colleagues?
- contribute to the learning of other educators?
Standard 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning
Standard 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
Standard 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject matter for Student Learning
Standard 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experience for All Students
Standard 5: Assessing Student Learning
Standard 6: Developing as a Professional Educator
Read: Cal Teacher Blog