Year of Collaboration

Each year, the Urban Academy selects a theme to explore in a variety of different ways.   Our theme during this 2011-2012 school year is that of ‘Collaboration’. 

We chose collaboration as it speaks to Urban Academy’s values and how we approach education.  The most current research indicates that students who are coached to analyze their learning, and understand ways they can make further improvements to their work, are able to learn at a deeper level than students who may be over-reliant on teachers for feedback. UA teachers are always open to student questions, and use student questions to further lines of inquiry in our major units of study.

Parents and teachers also work together through collaborative projects, field trips, committee work, and parent support in our classrooms. Students benefit from parents who regularly come into the classroom to share information about jobs or hobbies. Parents also lend their support in various other ways.  We work with our larger community through service projects, developing our organic garden, singing at a seniors' fair or visiting senior's homes.

One of our deepest discoveries so far is the importance of collaborating with openness to the ideas and energy of others. A recent speaker described the importance of being open to the energy that other people bring.  Some people are louder than others, some are more assertive, and some people are quieter.  People respond with a spirit of collaboration when they sense that we are open to the ways they want to collaborate.  Another discovery we have made is that reactivity decreases our ability to collaborate.  If we can breathe and relax when we feel tense, we can move away from our habitual responses.  Sometimes the best way to collaborate is to slow down, and make sure that all of our responses are wise and thoughtful.