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Exorcising the
“Lone Ranger”

Stories by Rhonda Barton, Marilyn Deutsch, and Bracken Reed

“You cannot have students as
continuous learners and effective collaborators,
without teachers having the same characteristics.”
—Michael Fullan, School Reform Expert

Although teachers are often characterized as “Lone Rangers”—or, in more flattering terms, as “entrepreneurial” individuals—classroom collaboration has been around for a long time. Almost a quarter-century ago, the middle school movement popularized teacher teaming on a large scale. And, teachers have always informally shared information about students and traded resources.

Today, though, as schools grapple with new accountability demands and increasingly diverse student populations, there’s more pressure to internalize Michael Fullan’s words and come together as “continuous learners and effective collaborators.” According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 69 percent of public school teachers took part in regularly scheduled collaboration with other teachers (excluding administrative meetings) in 2000. About a third participated in such activity two to three times a month.

“The old image of the lone teacher saving a downtrodden school by working independently and doing things their own way in their classrooms is simply no longer relevant,” observes Ed Dennis, chief of staff for Oregon School Superintendent Susan Castillo. “In successful schools, every educator is a team player, collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders to meet common goals.”

Effective collaboration may look different at each school, but it relies on many of the same strategies: focusing on student data and work; reflecting on and changing classroom practices; applying research; and honing teamwork skills. The four examples presented on the following pages show those strategies at work.

• Having “Another Set of Eyeballs”: Critical Friends Groups
• Teaming Up To Improve Reading: Professional Learning Teams
• A Road Map to Better Writing: Mapping and Aligning Curriculum
• Singing a New Tune: Lesson Study