Collaboration is my favourite part of teaching & learning… I moved to a new school this year, after 13 years (nearly my entire career as a teacher) and changed teaching assignments to Foods as well as Math & Science. Having never taught foods before, one of the first things I did was to build my community of practice. I continue to connect with like minds at school, specialists in the board, and experts in the community. I know that I work best when I’m able to share ideas with others, collectively work on task design and assessments, and, well… SHARE!!!
I bring this to my teaching practice in Math, Science & Foods every day. I ask students to work collaboratively - check their progress with a partner, share with someone how they came to a solution, or what they observed during an experiment and what they think that it means. For both myself and students, I celebrate taking risks and being vulnerable, because to be vulnerable is to open yourself up to what it possible. To show empathy for others as we all learn together is to create a space where we are all learners. Ultimately, I want students to know that there’s a difference between making a mistake and being wrong.
Being wrong is an ending.
Making a mistake is a beginning!
I have built my own network of support and invite students to do the same. Together we are better.
Margaret Matheson (@Maggie820) is a Math/Science/Foods teacher at Ernest Morrow. Beginner, learner and expert; #failingforward.