Why teachers should work together

The more outward looking we become as a profession, the better our chances of giving children the education they deserve, says Megan Stockley …

When I began my teaching career in the early 1980s, I was shown to my classroom by the headteacher who shared a few kind words with me before he left, closing the door behind him. Thereafter, the classroom door was closed at the beginning of every lesson; such was the culture in those days. Sadly, this remains common practice today, with many headteachers still experiencing resistance to going into classrooms in order to monitor and advise on the quality of teaching and learning for which they are ultimately responsible.

Yet this mindset has real disadvantages; I remember having a feeling of isolation throughout my time in the classroom. I was always keen to become a better teacher so that the children in my class could learn more effectively and yet the only time I was ever observed was once, during my probationary year, when a maths adviser came to see my drama lesson! When I tried to ask colleagues how they achieved something in their classroom, they were always reluctant to share their approaches with me. I believe that this inward looking approach has led to generations of teachers and their pupils losing out on real opportunities for learning.

Teachers, by their very nature, are self-critical, and so the reluctance to share is based in deep-rooted insecurities and a fear that we are not good enough. Yet, if we were all more willing to share the issues, problems and successes we face on a daily basis, we could support one another much more effectively by coming up with solutions, trialling and refining them.

We should not be focusing on teaching but on learning; teaching is only useful in so far as it enables pupils to learn effectively. Disadvantaged pupils that are taught by highly effective teachers for one year or more are much more likely to close gaps in attainment (Learning Point Associates, 2007). Isn’t that a sufficient argument for throwing open the classroom doors and becoming much more outward looking in order to provide everyone with the skills and knowledge to become a highly effective teacher?

It is only by empowering every teacher within the profession to give every child the best possible educational start in life, no matter what their background or circumstances, that we will see real improvements in the life chances of all children. In the words of John Hattie (2012), author of Visible Learning for Teachers, “...the greatest effects on students’ learning occur when teachers become learners of their own teaching and when students become their own teachers… Fundamentally the most powerful way of thinking about a teacher’s role is for teachers to see themselves as evaluators of their effects on students. Teachers need to use evidence based methods to inform, change, and sustain these evaluation beliefs about their effect”.

On another occasion, in an interview for the TES he commented, “Too many teachers believe the essence of their profession is autonomy. We hardly ever get together and look at each other’s teaching. That is a major hindrance to working collectively. I can’t imagine many other professions where that happens.”

By working more closely with colleagues from within the same school, neighbouring schools or further afield, the opportunity arises to develop a system of collaborative autonomy whereby every individual teacher takes the lead responsibility for developing those skills that will impact most sharply on improving the learning of the children that they teach.

The Academies Commission, in its recent report states, “This means valuing and supporting teachers as professionals; it also involves teachers in planning, teaching and reviewing their work openly with their colleagues and their pupils.” It recommends the setting up of “Excellence Networks”, charged with improving school performance and capacity across a region. This would be one way for schools to connect with other schools in order to share and further develop best practice.

However, the term “best practice” has been around for decades and the sharing of it has not led to wholesale improvement. It is imperative that, as we look to the future, the focus is firmly on teachers working with one another, sharing planning, visiting lessons and coaching one another to reflect upon the specific aspects of teaching and learning that have the greatest impact on each individual pupil’s learning.

There are groups of schools across the country where this shift is beginning to take place – school and classroom doors have opened and remain open, supported by external advisers and coaches in order to develop capacity for sustained growth. These networks need to continue to be nurtured and supported, as it is only over time that we will begin to see the larger scale impact of their work.