Collegial Learning Part 4

Accessing Collegial Learning.

Most of you want to access what's already out there.

If you are in Victoria, contact your nearest VIT CRT Network Coordinator and see if they run meetings.  We each approach our Network in our own way within the constraints of the time we can devote to them.  This means that not all Networks are able to offer the periodic meetings.  If they don't offer meetings?  That doesn't mean they won't be helping you out on this front.  CRT Networks can't help but put you into contact with an awful lot of CRTs simply by gathering you together.  Even if they aren't running meetings?  PD workshops still give you access to a whole room full of CRTs!

Talk to other CRTs that you attend PD with or work along side of in schools.  Build the relationships you need to be comfortable discussing your teaching issues.  Build the sorts of relationships where you are going to get a pat on the back when you have done well.  Build the sorts of relationships where sharing teaching advice is normal and welcome.

If you are outside of Victoria, or outside Australia for that matter, often you have to start thinking "outside the box" because there's no groups near you.  You have found this blog meaning you have begun your search and  I assure you there are many many more out there.  Blogs are a very good place to start.

Keep visiting these blogs!  Start commenting! Participate in online discussions!  These days a lot of similarly minded people are no more than an internet connection away.

I have links to some of my favourite teacher blogs in the sidebar but there's many more out there.  I keep my favourites there so anyone visiting can use them as launching-off points to find the blogs that they like too. Many do like I have, they have links to even more teacher blogs in their sidebar.

On long rainy weekends I've followed these chains for hours, picking up tips, tricks and invaluable information.  Learnt things I never would have thought of myself.

As far as I am concerned Teacher blogs are wonderful things!

Creating groups for local CRTs.

The one important thing you need to understand before you start?

The number one things you need to work on to provide a collegial learning environment is relationships.  Without solid relationships nothing else matters.  Unless people are comfortable enough with their peers that they are willing to put their PROBLEMS and MISTAKES on the table, they aren't going to be free to seek out the answers they need.

The following video does a few things.  First, it explains why you need to build relationships better than I can.  Secondly, it shows you that it is important enough that schools are paying the dollars to have their coaches taught this stuff.

While I recommend watching all 3 of these videos, for now just start at the 3 minute mark of this one.

The number ONE thing you need to do before all others is to understand that one of the most important things you will do is to help build realtionships between the people in your group.

I started off with 10 of us around a table, not really knowing where we were going or what we were doing.   By building relationships between these CRTs, things hotted up.  The meetings became interesting and informative as we all got more and more comfortable with sharing aspects of our professional lives.  Before long they were telling their friends of the great thing they were on and they wanted in on it too.

The Network has now grown to over 100 members who turn up for different things at different times and we are having a direct impact on the quality of education available to CRTs and students in our region.  All because they have realtionships that encourage them to be open, enthusiastic and helpful towards each other.

As a coordinator, helping build relationships is mostly what you will do.  You will schedule meetings, look at local issues and set topics etc but building those relationships is core to getting these people to share information and advice with each other.  If you build the right atmosphere almost everything else will take care of itself.  You will be sitting in a room participating at the same level as everyone else, learning just as much as everyone else.


If you are interested in starting up a network in your area?  Please feel free to email me to help get the ball rolling. Make sure you tell me a little about yourself, your area and how you would like to structure your group because I'm genuinely interested to see how others intend to carry the same torch I am.

If you are already running a similar group?  Wow!  Good on you and please tell me your story too!  What prompted you to start your group?  What do your members like to discuss and learn about?  What are the "big" topics that get everyone excited?

Also feel free to use the comments on these 4 posts on collegial learning.  I'm as eager to learn as I am to see CRTs get every benefit that full time teachers do!

Regards,

Mel.