Teachers across the United States frequently find themselves in situations where they are asked to collaborate with colleagues. Oftentimes, these collaborative sessions consist of teachers completing tasks regulated by administrators or participating in conversations that are not meaningful and have little to do with the realities of their classrooms. With the pressures and responsibilities teachers experience daily, authentic collaboration is an essential piece in supporting them in today's education system; however, significant barriers prevent this critical work from taking place. This exploratory practitioner research study, conducted in a rural, high-poverty school in Florida identified barriers that prevent authentic teacher collaboration and explored possible strategies suggested by teachers to aid in overcoming these barriers. In order to identify these barriers and strategies, five 3rd grade ELA teachers participated in two semi-structured interviews designed to solicit their thoughts on both current and desired ways of collaborating. Additionally, over the course of seven weeks, teachers were observed during collaborative work times, including planning and professional development sessions. Finally, a researcher journal was also used for recording reflections after observations of the teachers structured and unstructured collaboration experiences. Data analysis revealed several barriers that prevented teachers from engaging in authentic, collaborative work, including superficial collaboration, misconceptions related to authentic teacher collaboration, teacher state of mind, relationship building, and structural and administrative barriers. Additionally, teachers suggested strategies that could be implemented to overcome these barriers. In particular, my colleagues proposed establishing norms and goals, rethinking communication, utilizing different collaborative models, creating opportunities for collaboration across grade-levels, and redesigning the walkthrough tool used by school leaders. The results of this study show a significant need for rethinking and restructuring collaborative opportunities for teachers. Authentic teacher collaboration can be a powerful tool if the necessary conditions and components are present. Giving teachers the opportunity to engage with each other in an authentic way can have a lasting impact on their instructional practices and their students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]