Collaborating All By Myself!

I love to work in a collaborative environment—especially if I do it on my own! This is most easily achieved if the tools for collaboration are difficult to access or, better yet, nonexistent. I can be very productive in this type of environment because no one bothers me with input or other points of view.

I once read that IQ is the measure of an individual’s ability to adapt to a new environment, and my experience bears that definition out. As I’ve travelled all over the world, I have seen that those who are most intelligent will maximize whatever environment they are in. They know intuitively that our environment is what we experience it to be, not what we are told it is, and so they also know that they have the ability to change it.
Why does it matter what kind of environment we have? I’ve learned that if I, as a teacher, change the learning environment in my class, students may change the way they learn. If I create an environment valuing rote learning—where memorizing is all that is required and is rewarded with success—then most students will only invest themselves in practicing the given recitation. If I create a learning environment—where students have to collaborate and problem solve to be successful—then those students can invest themselves in the more useful skills of being creative, cooperative and resourceful. Every year I get at least one “smart” student who does not want to work with others. The frustration level for that student rises very quickly when they see their less “academic” classmates out-achieve them because they find solutions collaboratively. By nature, I am not all that collaborative. I work on my own in the classroom. I develop learning materials often in isolation. But I have learned that, through collaboration, I can be much more effective and certainly a much better teacher. I thank Murray T. for patiently mentoring me to work with someone whose strengths cover my weaknesses—a lesson I learned as he and I collaborated, which in turn was only possible when our environment leant itself to partnership: I was accidentally placed in the office next to Murray. Our offices are no longer together, and accordingly our collaboration has been significantly reduced.

Create the environment for collaboration and teachers, instructors, community members, students and staff MAY work together. Do not create the conditions conducive for collaboration and the rebels will often find a way (perhaps out of spite!)