Teacher Collaboration, Open and Shut

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Becoming Teachers: Identity, Narrative, and Pedagogical Journeys

Abstract

The 1960s open space school sought to reconfigure the experiences of learners and teachers alike. By doing away with classroom walls and situating multiple classes in shared spaces, the model aimed to individualize learning and liberate teachers from their professional isolation. The design posed myriad challenges for teachers, but some evidence suggests it also promoted close, collegial relationships and informal collaboration and observation. This paper expands upon prior research to explore the professional lives of teachers who previously worked in one such facility—and reported these surprising affordances—but now work in conventional building, opened in 2021. Though participants appreciated teaching in an up-to-date facility, they widely reflected on negative effects the move has had on their professional communities.

Author

• Jeremy T. Murphy, College of the Holy Cross