Reach Out to Colleagues (Monday)

Begin by reaching out to the teachers whose classrooms are closest to you. Try to engage your colleague in conversation before your day begins or after it is over. While this idea seems simple, consider how often teachers neglect to budge from their space. Someone has to make the first gesture before even the simplest of partnerships can be formed.

Host Lunch Groups (Tuesday)

Create a lunch group or join one already in place. Keep the focus of the group positive by establishing a commonly agreed upon rule not to engage in slanderous talk. Too often, lunch bunches become gripe or gossip sessions, and such behavior is usually counter-productive to building a strong school community. Keep your talk professionally encouraging and foster wholesome laughter–the people who attend will be energized and positive.

Host Professional Conversations (Wednesday)

Invite your colleagues to join you for “professional conversations.” Advertise the topic and make flyers to put up in the teacher's lounge. Choose a relevant topic, for example, “helping reluctant readers.” Make the conversation interactive by asking participants to write up their own solutions to the topic and make enough copies for participants. During the meeting, ask teachers to explain their strategies as they provide all participants with written directions. Teachers leave armed with ready-to-implement classroom strategies.

Host Book Discussions (Thursday)

Invite your colleagues to join a book group. The perimeters are boundless for this activity—your group could meet at school, a local restaurant, or in one another’s homes. Choose to read and discuss a variety of books—both entertaining and informative. It is important for group members to listen to the ideas of others, even if the ideas are not necessarily embraced.

Embrace Diversity (Friday)

Reach out to teachers from different cultural backgrounds than your own. Forging relationships with people with different perspectives can widen your world view and make you a better teacher. When explored in a supportive environment, our differences can act as important catalysts for change. Use your commonly held goals as educators as the foundation for your relationship. Don't forget to keep an open mind!