Printer-friendly versionThis piece is to accompany Seamless Teaching
It is an enormous challenge to share your teaching space, goals and responsibilities for a year with a co-teacher(s). This ‘prenuptial’ agreement sets forth some basic courtesies to alleviate stress as you learn to relinquish total control for shared decision making. It also calls for continual evaluation of your relationship, progress and direction while encouraging change as necessary.
Recognizing that any close relationship needs continual nourishment, evaluation and refreshment, the collaborators hereby mutually agree to:
• Write down [for personal clarification and for sharing with collaborator(s)] his/her own personal professional purpose.
• Specify the ‘musts’ of his/her teaching environment [for personal clarification and for sharing with collaborator(s)].
• Specify the ‘must nots’ of his/her teaching environment [for personal clarification and for sharing with collaborator(s)].
• Smile [even if annoyed, aggravated or disappointed]. Begin practicing optimism until it becomes a habit!
• Welcome the collaborator(s) with a smile, tone of voice, body language and actions.
• Share space, emotional and physical.
• Show genuine interest in the collaborator(s), personally and professionally. Be generous with your time.
• Listen to what is said verbally and non-verbally.
• Resist any temptation to judge or criticize.
• Be prepared to regularly evaluate and assess personal and collaborative success objectively.
• Meet all mutually agreed upon professional responsibilities.
• Be flexible enough to change direction as needed.
• Regularly review this document and amend as needed.
• Be prepared to laugh, especially at self.
This Pre-Nuptial Collaborative Agreement is entered into by _________________
and __________ on this date of ___.
