ERIC Number: EJ956383
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1524-5039
EISSN: N/A
Teacher Collaboration Experiences: Finding the Extraordinary in the Everyday Moments
Parnell, Will
Early Childhood Research & Practice, v13 n2 Fall 2011
In this report of a phenomenological study, the co-director of a U.S. early childhood program describes and reflects on the interrelationship of his collaborative work with teachers, staff members' documentation of children's work and school events, and his own professional development activities. The author presents and discusses three events that took place over the course of a year. In the first narrative episode, his recent professional development experience at a program inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach enables him to support a teacher who is feeling discouraged about challenging situations in her classroom. Together they plan an after-school event that engages families in reorganizing parts of the classroom. The second narrative episode centers on the author's documentation of a complex construction made by two children in a new space that was created by the reorganization efforts. The final narrative episode consists primarily of a reflective conversation among the author, the teacher, and two colleagues, during which documentation panels created by the author and the teacher are the basis for collaborative discussion about the events of the preceding two narratives. Each narrative is followed by a discussion and brief analysis. The paper concludes with reflections on resulting insights about collaboration, documentation, and professional development. (Contains 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Teacher Collaboration, Reggio Emilia Approach, Professional Development, Faculty Development, Phenomenology, Classroom Techniques, Family Involvement, Personal Narratives, Learning Activities, School Activities, Cooperative Planning, Cooperative Programs, Improvement Programs, Educational Improvement, Teacher Improvement, Documentation, Participant Observation, Change Strategies, Educational Change, Teacher Administrator Relationship, Educational Practices
Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 51 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61820. Tel: 877-275-3227; Tel: 217-333-1386; Fax: 217-244-7732; e-mail: ecrp@uiuc.edu; Web site: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A