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17 February 2005: Name Calling (3 of 4)

While I believe that what we call our students is the most important of these topics, I am coming to realize that the relationships and underlying attitudes of colleages can often be read in the names they use for each other.

As you can imagine, where first names are used there is far more time and emotional energy devoted to collaboration at school. Away from school, these colleagues often collaborate in cafes, pubs, movie theaters, and restaurants.

Am I right? Have you ever shared really meaningful workshop or planning session with a collaboration partner and ended with, "Wow, thanks so much for your time, Mr. Jones."?

My experience in schools where teachers refer to each other more formally has been consistent: less on-campus collaboration and little or no off-campus recreation. So what can we infer about the climate on these campuses? I've worked in these schools, and they're just not as good a place to learn or to teach.

teaching quote of the day

Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.

- Chinese proverb

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