A Community of Teachers
By Peter W. Cookson, Jr.

Several years ago I was reading a newspaper article about how difficult it is to retain new teachers – particularly in schools with many high-risk students. It's difficult to retain teachers who work in isolated communities, in very poor communities and communities where parental levels of education are not high.

In areas of concentrated poverty, the turnover rate of teachers is astronomical. In some areas, students will have two to three teachers in one year, 50% of teachers leave the profession in one year and 70% leave after three years. The effect of this high turnover rate on children is devastating. The very stability that they require is unavailable to them; no amount of educational reform can substitute for the positive impact of teachers in the lives of students. For students, it's the teacher and their relationship with the teacher that determine their success or failure.

New Teacher Academy
After reading the article, I discussed this situation with several of my colleagues at the university and those teaching in neighboring schools. We decided to do something and took a proposal to the superintendent's office. With her blessing, we created a New Teacher Academy in collaboration with a school district that served very poor families and where the teacher turnover rate was extremely high. The entire district was unstable and couldn't attract and retain qualified teachers.

Peer support
Working closely with the new teachers in the district, we created a program that was based on peer support. Rather than create a mentor system where the "expert teacher" advises the new teacher, we built a year-long program around the concept that new teachers working with new teachers, supported by a strong curriculum, would lead to a sense of a community among them. This sense of community would foster the development of the knowledge, skills and dispositions it takes to be a great teacher. Together we would improve schools, classroom by classroom.

Two sacred hours
The curriculum we developed focused on classroom management, literacy, community relations and teacher leadership. The two hours a week that we spent together were sacred – no administrative intrusions, no school rules and regulations, no evaluation. We had an opportunity to talk about what was going on in the classroom of every new teacher. And here's what we discovered: we all shared the same opportunities and challenges.

Being a new teacher is a roller coaster of experiences, sometimes conflicting emotions and adjustment to the culture of schools. During the course of the year, a deep friendship was created among all the teachers. I learned that the greatest support any teacher can experience professionally is from other teachers. We learn from each other, we share each other's victories and defeats, and we help each other to improve our classroom practices.

Creating a community
Sometimes as a new teacher you can feel isolated. Unable to communicate with your colleagues, you struggle to find companionship and colleagueship. It's important to reach out to your fellow teachers. A sense of community among teachers is the core of what makes a great school.

Here are a couple of ideas about creating a community of teachers:

• Be sure to establish a social connection to your colleagues. Openness, friendliness and a willingness to share are qualities that will attract others to you and to your community. Avoid being judgmental and secretive.
• Create a professional development environment with your colleagues where you share lesson plans, best practices, classroom management tips, and when possible, attend conferences together so that you keep current with the ongoing research about improving classroom practices and developing your skill base.
• There are many online programs for teachers. Some of them offer wonderful opportunities to share lesson plans, innovative ideas, and to establish relationships beyond the school building. This virtual community of teachers will allow you to create a network of relationships beyond the school and become part of a community of educators.
• It's important to be ambitious. Become a lifelong learner, challenge yourself intellectually, and perhaps return to school to study a subject you care about passionately.

Becoming a teacher requires that you give yourself to your professional life completely. Enthusiasm, curiosity and persistence are the hallmarks of the true professional. Not only will your students benefit, but you will also grow stronger as a teacher and a person and you will become part of a community of teachers that will support you and enliven your experience. Too much of teaching is isolated. The real value of teaching is the collective effort of teachers who work together to create schools where learning is a joy and where continuous improvement is the unspoken motto.

Peter W. Cookson, Jr. is the founder of TCinnovations and the Dean of the Graduate School of Education of Lewis & Clark College. He is also founder of the Center for Educational Outreach & Innovation at Teachers College.

April, 2005, Vol.35, No.7