- Be Impeccable With Your Word.
- Don't Take Anything Personally.
- Don't Make Assumptions.
- Always Do Your Best.
These 4 agreements can be the cornerstone to any classroom. I have used them as reminders for my own life and reflections and I have used them with my students as classroom expectations. I believe that these 4 agreements are at the core of why people have conflict, either with others or within themselves. I want to use these agreements to help foster collaborative teaching practices in my daily working life. I will post more about this as I dig deeper into my thinking. Taking the time to read those 4 agreements and recognizing how everything can come back to one of those universals can open up so many opportunities.
More reflections on the Four Agreements:
Be impeccable with your word. In a co-teaching relationship there is perhaps nothing more important. Communication is the most essential aspect of a co-teaching relationship. This concept of being impeccable with your word is that you must say exactly what you need and what you mean, not dance around the subject and avoid saying what is absolutely necessary to say. This doesn't mean that you should be rude and not consider what your partner needs. Being truthful is important, but in order to maintain a strong working relationship it is also necessary to handle the conversation delicately. Saying what you mean can be done and should be done, but it should be done respectfully.
Don't take anything personally. Wow, now that is what I call a HUGE statement. This is the area where I personally need to grow the most. When we take things personally we are only listening to half the story. I want to be able to listen with an open mind and not always look for my reflection or my role in what is being said or done. Not everything is about me. Honestly, very little is about me. Very little is to be taken personally. It helps to take the time to listen fully. It is important to recognize that the teachers we work with may have different philosophies or opinions and we need to realize that this is okay. We need to find ways to respect both philosophies and then work together to move forward for the students we are working with. Getting rid of ego is not a simple task. It it is thoughtful and purposeful way of living your life and using this focus to move your teaching in the best direction for collaboration.
More reflections on the Four Agreements:
Be impeccable with your word. In a co-teaching relationship there is perhaps nothing more important. Communication is the most essential aspect of a co-teaching relationship. This concept of being impeccable with your word is that you must say exactly what you need and what you mean, not dance around the subject and avoid saying what is absolutely necessary to say. This doesn't mean that you should be rude and not consider what your partner needs. Being truthful is important, but in order to maintain a strong working relationship it is also necessary to handle the conversation delicately. Saying what you mean can be done and should be done, but it should be done respectfully.
Don't take anything personally. Wow, now that is what I call a HUGE statement. This is the area where I personally need to grow the most. When we take things personally we are only listening to half the story. I want to be able to listen with an open mind and not always look for my reflection or my role in what is being said or done. Not everything is about me. Honestly, very little is about me. Very little is to be taken personally. It helps to take the time to listen fully. It is important to recognize that the teachers we work with may have different philosophies or opinions and we need to realize that this is okay. We need to find ways to respect both philosophies and then work together to move forward for the students we are working with. Getting rid of ego is not a simple task. It it is thoughtful and purposeful way of living your life and using this focus to move your teaching in the best direction for collaboration.
I often take everything personally, or at least I am told that I do. It is very hard to not take things personally, especially when I feel they are directed at me in a negative way. Kudos to you for working on this - it is something I also need to work on!
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