Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/teacher-peer-pressure-positive-and-transformative/5020562/
During the last five years of our 26 years as a school, our vision has become more clear and defined. We believe at MacDonald Montessori School that parents, teachers, and children are all part of a learning community with a strong emphasis placed on each child’s unique ability to think, reason, question, and experiment. We have noticed a deeper commitment and a more passionate involvement in the vision of the school by all staff. We believe teacher peer pressure is alive and well within our school community. If we ask ourselves what drives us to grow as teachers, the answer lies in inspiration and peer pressure from ourselves, colleagues, and other educators.For the last 18 years we have been inspired by the educational philosophy of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and have been in the process of shape-shifting and changing our view of the role of teachers. We are moving daily from:
• Isolation to Connectivity
• Imposed to Collaborative
• Simplicity to Complexity
• Superficial to Reflective
• Impulsive to Intentional
• Predetermined to “Open to Outcome”
• Teaching to Learning
• Authoritative to Democratic
• Needy to Competent
• Certainty to Questioning
• “We can’t do it” to “We can make it work”
• Linear Planning to Cooperative Experiences and Research
• Impossible ...