Jeremy Doose

EDUC 346
6-17-2020
Reflection #6
Building Relationships as a Teacher

Building professional connections as a teacher can truly help to further enhance the

educational experience in the classroom setting. It is important to have the most fleshed out

coursework and guide to get the most out of your students in your learning. Sometimes it can be

hard to accept what leaders may present or expect from teachers, but it is important to be on the

same page in order to learn what to expect when it comes to what school leaders and other

teachers see as good or proper.

When reading from chapter 4 of the text,

what really threw me off was the beginning pages

on the teacher who used a Facebook page as a

means to better connect with parents of those in

his kindergarten class. The reason behind why

they pulled the plug on this experiment really threw me into a loop as well. The quote says, “One

of the concerns Matt’s administrators shared was that, because what he was doing was so

successful, they feared it would put more pressure on others in the building.” (Couros, 85) As a

future educator, this idea really did not sit well with me upon reflection. If we are to encourage

students to learn on a higher level, what better way than to show parents events that occur within

the confines of class? How can we truly be furthering the education of students if we are so

worried about putting burdens on teacher?

 Furthermore in the text, it mentions that most pressure in terms of professional relations

come from the superintendents of the school who seek to have relative control and a general

narrative to show how students are exactly learning in their school. In short, they want a sense of

control and uniformity in terms of what the teachers teach their students and how they present

the content. In Matt’s instance, he went outside the normal behavior of what was expected of the

teachers in the school, and instead of caving and forcing teachers to adapt, the superintendent

instead went with the solution of having Matt rid the site and never using it again. While it may

seem harsh or relatively improper for the superintendent to pull the plug on an experiment that

quickly, Matt did admit to going outside the expected guidelines in order to further what he

sought to be a better classroom. In building relations with teachers and administrators, it is key to

not work behind their backs and instead work together in order to inspire change and find

solutions to common issues.

For instance, had Matt presented his idea to another teacher or the superintendent, it

could give teachers ideas on how to further their instruction. In being on a uniform front, they

could work together to problem solve or seek help in order to enhance this form of online

connectivity for parents. When building relationships with fellow instructors, in my eyes, it is

most important to be upfront with ideas and come together in order to bring change instead of

trying to apply it in a burden-like manner. For instance, if u have an idea such as presenting an

online video to parents each week on instruction, you have to make sure other teachers are okay

with this process and the superintendent deems it as okay. Just because you know it will work

doesn’t mean that it is okay to force upon big change that may pressure teachers to perform

different activities. This builds a sense of distrust between teachers which damages your

instruction. In working together to find common solutions with teachers and school leaders, we
can better address students needs that are more effective for the students, parents, and everyone

involved.

In conclusion, while there are many instances that may appear to be a foggy area of

clarification, one must communicate with their fellow professionals in order to grow as

instructors and hopefully bring positive change in the classroom setting.

Couros, George. The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a

Culture of Creativity (p. 85). Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.. Kindle Edition.