Every time that I moved to a new subject area, I relied on the teachers around me who had already been in the subject to help me figure out where to get started. There are some of you in this building that I borrowed (or maybe stole) to the benefit of my students. More important than taking in is the willingness to share out. With Office 365 and Blackboard, I know that many of you are already sharing within the building, however as you build connections with the world beyond these 4 walls, you can share them out with others.
In Ditch that Textbook, Matt Miller says “The one thing that teachers can do to make this unprecedented collaborative community more powerful is to share.” Some of you may have your doubts about this – you may think you don’t have anything to share, you don’t know how to best share, and most of all you don’t have time. I would suggest picking a way that works for you – Twitter is easy to start using and make quick connections through the use of hashtags. We all have different perspectives based on our own experiences, and any of us can talk about our experiences, content, success, failure, etc. As for time, start small – a short blog post once a week about your classroom successes, and a Twitter account to follow a few educators that you can check for 5 minutes a day. Instead of taking the time to come up with an excuse, you could find a way to share.
The two easiest way to share:
- Pass your best ideas around with colleagues – each time you come up with something new, share it with your PLC, your teammates, or the whole school. If you gain something at a conference, pass it on. Inspiration is infectious!
- Start a blog – basically a blog is like an online journal. You can post your ideas, and others can read and comment on them. I love WordPress.com, and set my blog up in about 5 minutes. Write about what you know. The time you take writing causes you to reflect on what you are doing
How have you benefitted from the things others have shared with you? What have you shared in the past that others have benefitted from? Share in the comments below!
The View from 518 
There is no way I would be where I am today without the knowledge and experiences that I gained learning and collaborating with my colleagues. We have a rich collaborative environment at HSE. I love how all of our intermediate colleagues collaborate and share on a consistent basis. We truly are blessed. However I do feel that we have many in this building doing some really fantastic things, but are too humble to share! Let your line shine friends!!
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During my time at The River, I have been so amazed at how generously and willingly other teachers share. It has helped me learn so much! The best have been times when group sharing has lead to something better than the way it started… Those times of collaborating are the best!
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