Dr. Shelly Arneson Author and Consultant
  • Home
  • Blogs and News
  • Workshops
  • Consultation
  • Shop
  • Links
  • Contact Information
  • Dissertation
Picture

Happy Communicating
​

Don't Teach in a Silo

1/31/2016

1 Comment

 
​I read this great quote from Pratik Dholakiya about the danger of working in a silo.
“Much as we believe that we are most productive in our little silos, the fundamental fact remains that humans are social animals. By denying the opportunity to collaborate and cross-pollinate ideas, businesses contribute to their own speedy demise.”
All too often, teachers end up working in a silo.  Here is the drill:  get to school, check-in (whatever that looks like at your school), go to your room and sometimes not come out until lunch.  And where do many teachers eat? Their classrooms, of course, because they have to get things ready for the science experiment after lunch or check email at breakneck speed before they rush back to the cafeteria to grab their kids.  Oh wait, what if they have to go to the bathroom, you ask?  No worries, they just break Guinness Records for “Longest holding of the urine!”  Yea! Give the teacher a blue ribbon! 
But, as Dholakiya says, we are social animals and we need to collaborate in order to be our best.  So, successful teachers all over the country are figuring out how to make time to cross-pollinate with their teams.  In the elementary school where I used to be the principal, we actually cross-pollinated with a neighboring elementary school for every one of our professional development days.  What a great way to see what other people are doing!  And so great for Carolyn and I to be able to watch each other lead our teams.  Sharing ideas can be intimidating, though, can’t it?  What if someone thinks my idea is stupid?  What if it takes more time than just doing it myself?  What if I don’t get my way?  All of these questions and many more just like it keep people from wanting to collaborate. And yet…many teachers (and educational leaders, by the way) have found that if they are willing to just be a little bit vulnerable, the changes can be beautiful.  All of a sudden, I am sharing grain with another silo; sometimes we eat mine, sometimes we eat yours, sometimes we mix it up in one crazy grain-conglomeration. The point is that ideas shared can be so much better than always going it alone. 
As a consultant who works with teachers all over the country, even the world as I just came back from working with the most wonderful, lovely teachers in Bogota, Colombia, I need to do the same thing.  And as one of the biggest blessings in my life, so many of my colleagues and I truly enjoy sharing ideas.  Dar happens to be one of my favorite traveling buddies.  We just drove up to a Navajo reservation in Northeast Arizona to teach teachers up there about good teaching.  The drive is long—about 5 ½ hours each way.  I can honestly say that, during the drive up and the drive back, we never turned on the radio.  Instead, we talked the entire time, much of it spent sharing ideas about upcoming trainings.  Give and take, share and laugh, eat and drink, laugh and share, rinse and repeat. 
One good idea from a single person can become a better idea when shared with a colleague.  How can we encourage more of this collaboration?  If we know it works to build teamwork, better ideas, and more productivity, it is incumbent upon us to facilitate more and more collaborative groups in every school in the country, no, even the world!
To finish with a silo joke, What did the calf say to the silo?  “Is my fodder in there?”
Happy Communicating!
 
Shelly
Picture
1 Comment
Shona
2/1/2016 08:10:16 am

I agree with you that collaboration is needed in our work environments as well in everyday life. I think that many people work under deadlines and focus on them so much that they create tunnel vision. I also believe that in many situations there seems as though there isn't time to "collaborate." But as you mentioned, taking advantage of a radio-less car ride provided an opportunity to exchange ideas. Maybe the skills to improve are being comfortable and able to identify discussion opportunities. Great post! Food for thought!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Shelly Arneson

    Picture

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from Tjeerd, Johnragai-Moment Catcher, UnknownNet Photography, Mr. Bombdiggity, wuestenigel, quinn.anya, Chocolate Geek, Jorbasa, Leonard J Matthews, JefferyTurner, Golf Resort Achental, fabola, www.ilmicrofono.it, m01229, Heinrich Plum, Titanic Belfast, Strocchi, Cultural viewpoints from around the world, katrienberckmoes, fabola, susivinh, fourcroft, Sweet Dreamz Design, usarjnco, Eldriva, symphony of love, cordalth, boellstiftung, David Holt London, maryjohum, Tony Webster, Rich.S., ZK-OJQ, davidmulder61, garryknight, ChrisPerriman, mrkrndvs, goatling, YellowstoneNPS, Frederick Homes for Sale, Mary_on_Flickr, yourbestdigs, Dean Hochman, guillenperez, Janitors, rachaelvoorhees
  • Home
  • Blogs and News
  • Workshops
  • Consultation
  • Shop
  • Links
  • Contact Information
  • Dissertation