A teaching environment demands trust and is filled with surprise.
The environment also depends on optimal collegiality--teamwork.
Over the past few years, I have felt that our teaching/learning environment has grown with regard to teamwork. Good structures, schedules, and new curriculum programs have fostered a greater sense of team. This teamwork depends on trust with regard to growth, and that trust depends on good communication, honesty, and care for one another.
Teaching is busy work--there's rarely a free moment during the day, and the to-do list often far surpasses the time available. This busyness can sometimes be a problem when surprises occur because those inevitable surprises can be seen as a burden. Though, as we all know, it's important to be open to surprises and meet those unexpected events with our most professional, curious, and committed selves.
This flexible thinking as our counselors so often remind us of as we meet to plan best supports for students is not only important for our students, but for ourselves too. It's easy to rely on rigid schedules, tight expectations, and the way it has always been done rather than to be open minded to new possibility and the promise that exists when surprises occur.
As I move down the teaching road this year, I want to work at building and maintaining trust with the teaching/learning community, and make sure that I have that curious, professional, and committed response to the surprises that inevitably occur.
