Collegial Dynamics

Current Practice

The Collegial Dynamics Category of the Relational Cultivation Domain is another strong component of my current professional/teaching practice. I have a genuine interest and appreciation for my colleagues and what they are teaching to students and that makes having relationships with them, partnering with them, and socializing with them all high on my list of priorities.

Below are brief descriptions of the indicators in this category with specific examples of how they are consistent elements of my teaching practice.

(1) develops mutually respectful and productive relationships with colleagues

Developing mutually respectful and productive relationships with colleagues is a consistent element of my teaching practice. This is probably best represented by quotes from them (Artifact RC-2):

  • “Easy to talk to as a colleague, always accessible, rarely in too much of a rush. On the occasions where you are pressed for time, you always have time for a moment of interaction at least, and then will say “actually, I have this thing I need to do right now, but we can pick this up later.””
  • “She has been a supportive friend to so many people, including me. I can bounce ideas off her and talk about challenges I’m facing with my students. She listens. She helps me to see the problem from another perspective.”
  • “Krissy is very kind and positive- she is curious to know how people are doing and checks in about their weekends/families. She is very respectful of people’s time and work space.”
  • “Krissy is highly regarded by our staff and students. She is approachable, warm, and engaged.”
  • “Krissy is a thoughtful, helpful, and kind colleague with whom I feel privileged to work. We have worked closely for the past year and a half on the 6th-grade advising team, where Krissy has made a significant impression. She jumped right in during the first few weeks, taking charge of activities such as guiding some meditative reflection and gratitude. She is adaptable and always willing to try something new; at the same time, she knows when she needs to say no and lets others take the lead. She is a good listener, too, and always remembers to ask how I’m doing and how things are going in my life.”
  • “Krissy often eats breakfasts as well as lunches at EPS. She will actively engage everyone at the table in conversation. She will also go on short walks with colleagues during free periods. Whenever I bump into Krissy around campus, she always has a few minutes for a quick chat or even a friendly hello.”
  • “Krissy is an absolute pleasure to work with in every way. She follows through, expresses gratitude, offers help, and is a genuinely caring person. I don’t necessarily have specific examples, because this is just a part of Krissy’s character. While I suppose it is true that everyone has room for improvement, I can’t think of anything that Krissy needs to change in this area.”
  • “-Krissy is very open to new ideas and suggestions about her and others’ curricula, and this makes her collegial relationships very productive in terms of bettering both her and her colleagues’ teaching
    -She has great ideas with regards to how to improve lab spaces and classrooms, and she shares her thoughts in a very respectful way
    -Krissy is very humble and never boasts about her fantastic accomplishments and experiences in science, including but not limited to her PhD and her various environmental science jobs.”

My mutually respectful and productive relationships with colleagues are also evidenced in photos of the 6th Grade Advisory Team and the EBC Colorado Team in Artifact RC-1.

(2) partners consistently with colleagues on projects (i.e., integration, service learning)

Partnering consistently with colleagues on projects is a consistent element of my teaching practice. Some ways that I have done this include:

  • Continuing a science partnership with 6th grade Scientific Thinking Classes and 10th grade Chemistry classes that was developed by Nickie Wallace before I came to EPS. In the partnership, 6th graders came to the 10th grade classes to learn about chemical reactions. The 6th graders got to see firsthand different types of chemical reactions that they briefly studied in class and 10th graders got to practice their teaching and presenting skills. I initiated an expansion of this collaboration in 2020 which allowed 6th graders to practice Materials Science presentations with the 10th graders and the 10th graders to practice giving constructive feedback (Artifact RC-1). Related to this, Nickie Wallace stated: “We’ve developed the 6th/10th teaching project and it’s expanding this year to include more collaboration between the students. I love that she’s willing to be flexible and make the project relevant to her students as well. She’s interested in engaging students and developing projects that get them to think and communicate like a scientist. She is organized, communicative, and adaptable in our collaboration. It’s the 2nd year of our partnership, and I’ve appreciated her feedback (both from herself and from her students).”
  • Participating in ongoing (2-3 times/year) field service learning with 6th graders through Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust (Artifact RC-1).
  • Creating an EBC day activity for 6th graders to make chocolate for the middle school fall play Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was ultimately given away as prizes at the play itself (Artifact RC-1).
  • Assisting colleague Burton Barrager with the Green Team cafeteria sorting project in Fall 2019 (Artifact RC-1).
  • Collaborating with Elin Kuffner, Molly Lori, and Bert Loosmore to prepare a presentation for 5th and 6th graders on the “1970s Environmental Movement to Environmental Justice Today” (Artifact RC-8). The presentation was ultimately canceled due to snow days and COVID-19, but we did collaborate and prepare for it.
  • Partnering with Sam Uzwack and Vickie Baldwin to for an article on well-being for the Fall 2019 issue of Inspire magazine (Artifact RC-9).
  • Currently collaborating with Molly Lori to develop a field trip to combine science and Spanish through back-to-back visits to the Spark Electrical Museum and a Mexican restaurant in Bellingham, WA in spring 2021.

Seven of my colleagues recognized this indicator as a strong point for me in their feedback in Artifact RC-2. Some of the additional things they noted not already listed here include:

  • “What I saw mostly was you working closely with Sarah Hollingshead on the hand off of the science classes last year. Very considerate and easy to work with, especially given that if I were in your spot I’d basically have been a headless chicken running around trying to get everything figured out. You met with Sarah a few times to get things figured out and always had good questions. I could see you were at pains to manage a smooth transition and also figure out how to do your classes in line with the EPS “way”. Props”
  • “She has helped the 6th grade team with SEL activities around mindfulness and relaxation.”
  • “She is fantastic team member of the 6th grade advisory group, lending a hand wherever and whenever needed. She has also personally reached out to me to collaborate on a performance piece that will marry theatre arts with nature.”
  • “We work together regularly to plan 6th-grade activities, and Krissy is always willing to take a lead role and follow through.”
  • “Additionally, while this isn’t partnering on a project, she and I often collaborate to come up with strategies for students in GSH, and I always appreciate her support and ideas.”
  • “-Krissy and I partnered on improving the space of our 5th/6th Science Lab (she brought in new living plants, new student-made atomic models, new posters, and new decorations to help make our lab a better place to learn and explore)”
  • “-When she first came to EPS, and still now to this day, Krissy has been and is very open to collaboration, brain-storming, asking questions, sifting through materials, and researching ways to make her 6th Grade Science and Environmental Practices classes even better (as well as other teachers’ classes too!)”

(3) engages in collegial activities hosted by the school

Engaging in collegial activities hosted by the school is a consistent element of my practice. I have attended the majority of extracurricular events hosted by the school since I came to EPS two years ago, including celebration events and happy hours. Artifact RC-1 shows a photo I took of the stadium and some EPS staff at the Mariners game in August 2019 as well as a photo of my colleague, Anne Duffy, and me at the December holiday party in 2019.

Future Practice

In the coming years, I plan to continue to engage with my colleagues the same way that I have been–respectfully and productively. In terms of deepening my practice, I would like to:
Continue to seek out opportunities to collaborate with colleagues on projects. I am currently still working out the details for the spring 2021 field trip to Bellingham with Molly Lori. If that is a success, I will work to make that a yearly event. As collaboration ideas tend to arise rather spontaneously, I will create a running list of new ideas so I can populate and act on them as time and energy allow.