Encouragement for Small Schools

Learning about collaborative work in large schools is inspiring, but small school educators can be left with lots of tough questions. Reality prohibits elementary grade level teams and secondary departmental teams. Much of the discussion of common assessments does not translate. Teachers may get discouraged. Administrators may be tempted to create another beast that can't be fed. 

However, there is great power in elementary vertical teams and secondary interdisciplinary teams. It is in the best interests of students to support and leverage the power of these teams.

Teachers in elementary vertical teams and secondary interdisciplinary teams can....

1. Hold each other accountable for honoring priority standards in assessments.

2. Work to create and maintain times and spaces for students to be matched with their needs.

3. Research best practices for assessment and instruction.

4. Provide mentoring that is so necessary in small schools dealing with turnover.

Collaboration will look different in small schools, but our students deserve to have teachers who make it work.