What is component 4D? Interacting with other professional educators and those in the school community is essential for teachers to do in order to best serve the students. Teachers can bounce ideas off one another, talk about their teaching strategies, and participate in events for the school and/or district as a whole. Teachers can learn from one another and therefore better their own practice which benefits the students in the end. The first element of this component is relationships with colleagues. A school is like a family and having a relationship with colleagues makes it a more comfortable and welcoming environment for new colleagues as well as students. Students will see how the teachers interact with one another and reflect that in their relationships with peers. The second element is involvement in a culture of professional inquiry. Teachers interacting and discussing techniques helps to make sure the best practices are being used in all classrooms. The third element is service to the school. The teacher must engage with those outside of the four walls of the classroom. The school as a whole will benefit most when teachers are engaged with the whole school, not only their classroom. The last element of this component is participation in school and district projects. Teachers should support and promote projects being put on by the district to ensure it is being supported by the whole community. This is essential so that the projects are successful and bring about the most success to the district as a whole.
How can it be implemented in the classroom? One way to implement this is by organizing an end of the year carnival day. This would be a day full of fun that engages the whole school in something that promotes camaraderie amongst all ages. A carnival day gives students something to look forward to, as well as teachers. The teachers could band together to organize this fun event to celebrate the students' success throughout the year. It would show the community that the teachers care about their students personally while also giving teachers the outlet to engage with their colleagues through something beyond passing one another in the hallway. Another way for teachers to demonstrate that they are participating in the professional community is by promoting district projects such as Box Top collections, auctions for PTO, or sporting events. Teachers that are on top of these events and broadcasting them to their students show that they are in touch with the environment outside of their four walls. It helps teachers to engage with the district as a whole and with their colleagues. Supporting the school/district in the many events that are put on throughout the year is a great way for teachers to support the school.
The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2017, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/danielson_rubric_32.pdf