Question: What is the difference between COOPERATION and COLLABORATION??

Being a COL teacher, alongside Silivia, my school asked me if I could present to the staff about our journey so far this year. 

We both always find this type of thing a little bit intimidating, but... if we do it together we know we have each other's back!

Term 2 has been a tough term for everyone at school. Silivia and myself know its hard to focus and take information in in a staff meeting in week 7 of a particularly hard term.

What to do to make it count! Get them moving, get them involved!

Initially, I asked who knew who were in the collaborative team. This was information that not many people knew, so introductions were made and the reasoning why we had these people.

I shared the school's aim: "to use common language around collaboration throughout the school". We have a representative from every area of the school!! Everyone has a voice. 

The next step was shared: how examples of collaboration can be shared and sourced throughout the school. This is going to be done through videos, written suggestions, photos, observations and continual discussions in pathway meetings.

  EVERYONE STAND UP PLEASE AND MOVE OT THE MIDDLE!!

First of all a big thank you to the collaborative team for helping me out. They did not know they were going to be lending a hand.

Is it collaboration or cooperations: 

The answers were not given, so I will do that now. But it did generate discussion and people listening closely to the wording of the scenarios:

COLLABORATION SCENARIOS: 

• 2 teachers, different satellite classes. We both feel that play is important for the children's social development, can  we set up a time where the my class can come to yours as you have a great set up for play.
• 2 teachers: we both think fine motor skills are important, let's put a mixture of activities out and then we can do 1:1 short bursts of teaching. We let the children from both classes mix
• Can we reflect, how do you think the session went, do you feel they understood the activity or do they need. to revisit?
• 
  
• Everyone has a common goal
• We have our meetings with the parents together, we share the TAs, we all support each other.
• We have a behaviour issue with a certain child. Can we brainstorm the issue and possible support that we can put in place.
• Mix the 2 classes for numicon so that the children at the similar levels can be together, reflect with the adults fo each group at the end of each session, discuss if the children need to more or can move on with their learning.

COOPERATION SCEANRIOS:

• One person has a goal and we help to achieve it.
• Telling the TAs about a literacy activity and how to carry it out.
• I would like to set up more table top activities for sorting can you help me please.
• This is what the day will look like. Can you oversee MT and if you are able to take this activity.
• I need help with my music can you please do it for me.
• I can take your class.
• 2 teachers: 1 mainstream the other satellite. Can we get the classes together, I think it would be good for my children to develop a relationship with yours

HERE'S A COUPLE MORE TO THINK ABOUT:

• I need help with teaching music. Can you please give me a hand as I know your strength is music, can we work together to develop the LOs and activities???
• Can we look at doing the long term planning together as you are my release teacher. If we initially discuss the timetable, we can look at what area you would like to focus on. Let's make the learning outcomes together and then how about you think of the activities since you are doing it.