What is Collaboration?
Last week, during the “cold day” our administrative team got together and discuss the 4-C’s – Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity and Communication. They got into 4 groups and each one generated a blog post about what their “C” meant for Saline Area Schools. Here is the post about Collaboration produced by: Julie Campbell, Curt Ellis, Steve Laatsch, and Brian Puffer.
Mission and vision provide a roadmap for an organization to follow. In a collaborative environment, goals are clearly defined and understood and individual strengths are matched to tasks with the goal of benefiting the organization.
In a school setting, it can be difficult for people to understand the roles and responsibilities of others. While individual work is important, absent an understanding of broader roles and responsibilities, capacity and therefore achievement is limited. As a school district becomes more collaborative and the individuals develop a greater understanding and capacity to perform different roles within the team, the ability to withstand personnel changes and preserve the integrity of the organization is enhanced.
In an ever-changing society, the collaborative environment demands flexibility where respect and empathy for the thoughts, feelings and ideas of others is highly valued. High quality individual work is connected to the group, excitement is generated and productivity rises.
Highly collaborative groups are reflective and possess the capacity to self-critique. They are not afraid to fail and will leave no stone unturned until solutions are found. In highly collaborative environments, individuals feel connected to the mission and vision of the organization.
Sources:
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/advantages-collaboration-education-19763.html
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/benefits-teacher-collaboration
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