The Power of Collaboration

Over the summer, the English 9 team met to map out the school year and decided we were going to teach "A Midsummer's Night Dream".  I've never taught it before and had only read it once in college, but after seven years of "Romeo and Juliet" I was ready for a change.  Thankfully, I'm not trying to figure out how to teach this play on my own, because I would be a wreck! I was having a minor freak out over break, but then we met at Chicory Cafe and discussed the themes and essential questions we wanted to use and all was right with the world. 

This is what we came up with:

Essential Questions: 

1. What makes poetry different than prose?
2. What happens in a world where men and women are treated unequally?
3.  How do we differentiate between dreams and reality?
4.  How is our behavior scripted/influenced by societal expectations?

Statement of Enduring Understanding: "The course of true love ne'er did run smooth"- love is difficult, especially when others do not approve.

Themes: love is transformative, control is a mirage, people escape reality as a means to gain control

 I love meeting with the women on my team as they are phenomenal, intelligent, strong, and amazing.  I can honestly say that the past year and a half has transformed me as collaborator and teacher.  When I first began teaching, I pretty much stayed in my room, talked to a few people in my department, and tried to make sense out of what I was doing on my own.  There were a few individuals that I would vent to and steal ideas from, but true collaboration on a regular basis was rare.  It was a lonely world.

Now, I can't imagine my life or my teaching without it.  It is absolutely amazing to spend time reflecting on my teaching and then sharing those reflections with people I trust.  We can talk honestly about our failures while also celebrating our victories with chocolate or a good beer.  Our diverse teaching styles make us stronger and help us to push our boundaries.  We share our materials willingly because we want each other to be the best teachers possible.  We also engage in some healthy competition which never hurts anyone.  Most of all, though, these women are my friends.  They have beautiful hearts, brilliant minds, and inspire me on this crazy journey called teaching.