The title of
this source shows that the article focuses on principal-faculty relationships,
which is different than my own emphasis on faculty-faculty (or educator-educator)
relationships. Despite that caveat, Wahlstrom & Seashore do address elements
of teacher-teacher relationships that built trust and professional community.
First, professional
community allows supportive interactions between educators, meaning educators
can assume multiple professional roles with their colleagues, including: “mentor,
mentee, coach, specialist, advisor, facilitator, and so on.” Many of these
relationships require colleagues to trust one another enough to fulfill the
role.
Second, professional
communities share values, as well as a common focus on student learning. Third,
colleagues within a professional communities share interactional behaviors
including collaboration in instructional development, as well as sharing
practices and reflective dialogue.
Fourth,
within professional communities, these characteristics and behaviors are “so
deeply embedded that teachers are often not aware of them.” In other words, these
qualities and actions are normal, desired, and expected.
Fifth,
professional community occurs when educators focus their attention on teaching
practice rather than on decision-making. As a community college faculty member,
most of my out-of-class work is spent sitting on shared governance committees. At
a time when shared governance seems to be under attack, I refuse to relinquish
my role governing the institution I’m a part of; however, professional
community exists when I also work with my colleagues on problems of teaching
practice.
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