When Bill started teaching in an independent school, he found himself working as part of a grade-level team and enjoyed the daily support of colleagues, while working on curriculum, discussing a particular student's needs, or considering a parent's concern. Meanwhile, in the Upper School, Candace, an English teacher, began team teaching an American Studies course with her colleague Doug from the history department. Such collaboration can engender opportunities for curricular innovation. The closeness of the community allows for personal and professional support. It is not uncommon, for example, for a school to respond with compassion to a teacher's medical or family needs, extending its resources beyond what is strictly required.
Teachers rally to cover the classes of a colleague whose child becomes ill.
In one case, accommodations were made for a teacher diagnosed with cancer to be able to maintain a close connection to her students while she also received treatment. Martha, who teaches sculpture, found the students more than willing to move and mix the clay, now too heavy for her to lift. In these intentional communities, the inter-dependent relationships of teachers, parents, and students create a shared sense of responsibility for the students' success. Teachers, parents, and students often collaborate to help the student with such issues as time management and social relationships. At one school, the half-hour before the day begins is consistently scheduled for individual meetings where students, teachers, parents, and advisors assess a particular student's progress.