My ideal environment for school is broken into three main changes. 

A.Collaboration within contents - IDU units with shared standards in speaking and listening, writing and cross criterial shared responsibilty across all facets of the school day. 

• Cross-Curricular Article

B. Banishment of Judgy eyes during collaboration

C. Brain based Development with embedded philosophy of all teachers to include brain breaks into their daily activities.   

Cross Curricular Article highlights the major components of effective implementation of the collaboration within all content teachers within a team, school and district. In this ideal world this would not be completed one staff meeting, and implemented while taking administrative notes on your documentation of your productively on the during school content time. It would not negate the use of SIP and Institute days on other initiative these days would be surrounded by structural support with expert teachers, graphic organizers, multi-media support on HOW to do it. ONE objective would be made and time to collaborate without taking notes. The team would have to create one lesson to be used within a 2 week plan. The next step would be to self-reflect on how the one lesson which crossed over to all the contents worked. The upcoming team meeting would include to time to improve said lesson and set goals for implemented the next lesson. Unevidentually these teams would develop a unit with at least 6-7 lessons, however these team need to find how their learning style, student pace with the idea, and so forth are implememted in teh classroom.

1. Deep learning engages the whole student (and teacher) -- heart, mind, body, and soul.

2. It requires enthusiastic partners -- students, parents, and community.

3. It requires intensive preparation.

4. Assessment must mirror learning by reflecting mastery of learning objectives rather than mere assignment completion.

5. Collaboration is necessary.

You know the looks...its not just in the resting face.

My second ideal environment would include the banishment of judgy eyes during collaboration. Outlandish and outside the box ideas would be celebrated and analytical systems with outlined objectives to reach the big idea would be shared as authentic listening took place from both types of teachers. I worked with a very literal co-teacher and she taught be wonderful lessons on how to breakdown a big idea into manageable parts. I would take the big idea and work through the night to finish as I had a hard time stopping when I was onto a good idea. I often find myself needing future support as my brain does not work linearly. However, I am often over passionate or zealous about an idea and my work ethic is overwhelming to most. My wild ideas have proven success in the classroom and in this ideal environment it would be welcomed similar to those ideas of how to tailor it.

My third change would be to establish Brain Based learning as a requirement. All teachers would remember,  through a simulation, what it was like to be the age of your student. The hormones, insecurities, frustrations, humor style and energy would be understood. Then, they would include brain breaks to allow their students to absorb the information, recall at an increased rate, and perform and behave their age. So often I overhear teachers say, “Grow up, and act more mature.” I ponder… “Well, farting was really funny when I was 12 and if I fart now in-front of students-- well.. I am going to laugh as well, or blame it on the kid next to me.” Kids find different things funny and we should embrace their youthfulness, carefree attitudes, and remember their actual age. We also then demand they act more mature yet many can not handle the pressure their peers, social media, parents or teachers place on them and we wonder why. We asked them to grow up yet we wanted them to be able to cope like an adult as well? We need to remember they are kids and they need a break. Remember how you felt at your last staff meeting, PD, or Institute day?