Most of the band staff went to lunch today. We spent about an hour and a half at a pizza buffet, mostly talking and not eating pizza. Collaboration is a good thing, if done correctly. Here are some key elements that I observe when I work with colleagues:
- Have fun
- Relax
- Focus on positives
- Don’t spend all the time talking about work
- Don’t spend much time talking about negative things
- Do spend time discussing teaching strategies that work for you
- Don’t take yourself too seriously
- Learn something from everyone you can, even if you learn what not to do
Planning is good. Planning as a group is one of the most effective ways to plan. No matter how long you’ve been doing something, someone else somewhere probably has a better approach to it. The people talking with you very well may be some of those people who have a better idea. So listen to their ideas.
We spent today planning the calendar for next school year and started writing and revising the handbook. Tomorrow, we have a staff meeting in the morning followed by a more time working on the handbook and doing instrument inventory. I enjoy working with the people I’ll be working with. These are exciting times.
