Giving Thanks To Others.....

Though it pains me to write this, I must admit that collaborating with John this past year at work has been one of the most enjoyable working experiences for me to date. At the start of the school year, it was easy for me to deduce that 90% of my students had Mr. Squillace for Math. Immediately, we began to "tag team" our 10th grade students. We pressured them together, tried to motivate them together, and even contacted parents together. There were days I felt "armed and dangerous" because I knew that John would always have my back, whether he agreed with how I handled a situation with a student or not. I believe that this collaboration made me a better teacher this year.
No one told us to work together, we did it on our own. We had our own "team meetings" every day. We updated each other on student progress or lack thereof, but also informed each other if we knew a student was going through a hard time. This information was invaluable because we were able to focus our energy on students who truly needed help.
Not only did I become a better teacher because of this collaboration, I also gained a true friend in my life.