The Power of Collaboration

The Benefits of Welcoming Experts into the Classroom

• Finnish teachers regularly invite each other's classes into their classrooms, bringing joy to both teachers and students.
• Inviting experts into the classroom can create great learning experiences for students and take pressure off of teachers.
• Teachers should recognize and benefit from the expertise of others both inside and outside of school communities.
• Collaborating with colleagues doesn't need to be elaborate and can be as simple as asking someone to share photos or stories.
• Welcoming fellow teachers and other experts into the classroom sends a message to students that teachers are looking to learn from others.
• Cultivating an attitude of learning from others makes it easier to view students as experts as well.
• Giving students ownership by letting them teach sometimes can bring them joy and excitement.
• Inviting experts into the classroom can affirm an abundance-oriented worldview.
• Teacher swaps, where teachers switch roles in each other's classrooms, can be a way to collaborate and learn from each other.
• Inviting colleagues into the classroom can be a starting point for combatting a scarcity-minded worldview.
• Welcoming experts into the classroom doesn't need to be a big effort and can benefit both teachers and students.
• Tapping into the resources within a school community can be more efficient than seeking out external experts.