Couldn't agree more. Even in business and sports- two favorite areas for the hero myth (miracle CEO, superstar free agent) it is the team that creates success. In education, the whole is better than the sum of the parts on a teaching team or faculty that is high functioning. Curriculum ideas get swapped and expanded, and students see the connections across content and between the adults who care for them.
Much of the current thinking has led to policies which can undermine the team concept. Individual teacher ratings are a good example--as if a student's 7th grade ELA scores aren't a direct result of the work of every teacher that child has.
I'd be all for systemic thought around enhancing teamwork amongst teachers, with PD and curriculum to match.
Couldn't agree more. You know I believe in performance measures but we need rich ones and we should be able to look at our results as a team -or/and as a team leader - leading a team with common goals.
Humans evolved to work in teams to survive and thrive. Its in our nature to reach our highest levels through teams. Never mind that it is also the core skill set for our students.
Wendy Kopp wrote very compellingly on her evolution around this idea and away from the super hero myth. No one really steeped in education on a daily basis believes the hype on super hero teachers as the transformational change we need. But it is the myth that is simple for non educators to understand.
Chris, I really like your words people do best when they can believe in something - the value of the work and belief in their capacity to make a difference with young people working collaboratively in a team.