Alfie Kohn (the author of Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community), and Nelsen, Lott and Glenn (authors of Positive Discipline In The Classroom: Developing Mutual Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in Your Classroom), all clearly support the idea of collaboration, not just with other professionals but primarily with all the students in the classroom. Students should be encouraged to help to create their environment and be given real and appropriate choices about what they do and when they do it. Providing a climate that supports cooperative learning instead of competition, that models supportive responses and strengthens relationships between peers, teachers and community will be a large part of my daily efforts within the classroom. The sharing of ideas and theories helps students to have more of the pieces of the puzzle. They will be able to grasp concepts more easily because there will be alternate perspectives, not just their own somewhat limited view.

Some of the ways I will accomplish this are through class meetings and other activities that encourage trust and deeper understanding of each other. I will challenge students to work in teams and reach out to others. I will integrate within content and standards ways to build a caring and respectful atmosphere that celebrates student successes. I will model behaviors and attitudes that are conducive to collaborative work with others.

Collaboration with students' families is another fascet of my Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan.  Understanding the needs that the families have for their children will give me insight, and help me to work with the families to meet the goals that we have set together for their children.

Bottom line: When students are working together toward a common goal, they can be open to learning and discovery. When students, teachers and families work toward common goals, expectations will be supported.  That is why creating an environment that supports and encourages collaboration is key to my Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan.