A brand-new academic year can bring hope, energy and excitement, as we aim to build upon successes and improvements and continue to march toward our objective of success for every learner. Now is the best time to be establishing a Collaborative Team Meeting (CTM). To do that, we will use an expert magnetic glass board installed plainly on the class walls.

Whether examining students in grade-level groups, divisional team, subject groups or around pods of students, Collaborative Team Meetings can become a lorry for powerful collaboration and problem-solving related to supporting trainees. Especially in conjunction with an excellent sizeable magnetic whiteboard where you can team up, brainstorm and mark the development of your CTM.

Here are some things to think about:

1) Behaviour before beliefs-- Michael Fullan advises us that attempting to alter a person's belief is an overwhelming job and one that is typically counter-productive to the change process. We should engage personnel teams in behavioural changes (how we work) frequently prior to we can get the buy-in. When we first initiated Collaborative Team Meetings, not every team member saw the full value of the procedure, and in some cases the discussions were not as effective as they later became. The point here is that all of us need to start somewhere and believe in taking a collaborative approach to attending to the needs of students will come, as we continue to interact dealing with how best to support trainees. Change theory tells us that we simply need to start-- beliefs and buy-in will develop as we continue to position focus on the requirements of students.

2) It's not a popularity contest-- Douglas Reeves (2009) advises us, "If your objective is appeal, then you are finished, and expert collaboration will meet the exact same fate as every other modification that failed because the true standard was popularity, rather than effectiveness. If, however, you are dedicated to efficient change, then persistence through the initial obstacles to achieve the important short-term wins will be necessary, even when that perseverance is unpopular." (p. 48). As leaders, we need to continue to find the best ways to meet the needs of trainees, and this might mark a departure from some standard practices in schools. Writing tasks on dry wipe boards and employing a few of the task management methodology showed on large magnetic glass boards will suffice. Staff will pertain to see the Collaborative Team Meeting as an encouraging structure that can bring along a feeling of "we're all in this together". However, it will take some time to generate that level of buy-in.

3) Consider handling using glass board task-- We have composed before on the worth of piloting modification. Consider beginning CTM's with a specific grade level, leveraging those team member most supportive of the process and let them end up being the champions that generate other personnel interest throughout the school.

4) Include CTMs in your yearly calendar-- We have found it most efficient when you can plan CTM's right into the yearly personnel preparation calendar. Mounted on the staff's office wall, we utilize a professional magnetic glass board to add to-dos and strategies easily. By determining the dates through the year for CTM's, it becomes easier to prepare for (and to not desert when things get busy). Anything crucial deserves committing to at the outset. For more information about this, see how a large glass board might present the calendar in your office.

A Collaborative Team Meeting can work as the catalyst to school-wide structural modifications to how we resolve the requirements of students, moving the focus from "my trainees" to "our students ". For us, it the natural initial step to developing a powerful Collaborative Response Model in your school!

Best wishes as you move on in your strategies to fulfill the needs of all your students in your school!