Edudiary2.0

What can our colleagues do for us? What can we do for them? Here are some ideas that might help you.

• Share lesson plans. As an experienced teacher, your lesson plans may be so abbreviated that they may look something like a cross between a secret code and a list, but consider the benefits of rewriting a particularly successful lesson plan in a readable format and sharing it with your peers. Aren't you curious to know what practices others are using in their classrooms? The exercise of reviewing someone else’s lesson plan makes you reflect on choices she made. You think about how you might have done things differently, but realize that this particular sequence of steps led to successful learning.  This can be done on a rotating basis at your monthly staff meeting. The presenter of the month can distribute hard copies for review. Online options for exchanging lesson plans include file sharing via a Yahoo Group, a wiki, or email.
• Share links. There are so many ESL/EFL-related sites out there. How can we find them? When you discover a good one, do you share it with your colleagues? Make a list and keep it in the Subject file at school so even if you leave the school ,new teachers can benefit from it.
• A communication board in the staff room on which teachers could post tricky language questions for consideration and discussion.
• Exchange the favor of reviewing/ editing materials. Despite the fact that there are great printed resources out there, you still find yourself  in the position of writing original test material. Rule #1 about materials writing: proofread. Rule #2: Have someone else proofread when possible. It really helps to have a second set of eyes, and if that set of eyes belongs to a fellow teacher, she can also provide feedback regarding the overall quality of your work.
• Share your knowledge. There’s so much we can learn from one another. Sometimes it’s a small piece of information, such as some insight into pronouncing some words . Other times it could be a set of skills. For example, teaching you how to use the technology you want to bring into your teaching.
•  Peer Observation. Exchanging visits with other teachers even those who teach other subjects is part of our professional development and will help to make us reflective teachers.

So much of our time is spent in the company of our students or alone as we prepare our lessons and correct assignments. The time we spend with our peers may not amount to much in comparison, but it’s important. Whether it’s a staff room at a school or a virtual office, we need a place to interact with one another. Through our exchanges we can offer support and even promote one another professional development. Of course, realistically, not every shared moment is going to be work-related.Enjoying one another company through a recap of a fun weekend or a discussion of recent news has a purpose, too. It creates comfort and familiarity. Our relationships grow, and we then feel more secure in taking and offering support. Besides, conversation and shared laughter add a warmth that every work environment needs.