There were no watchful adult eyes and sensitive ears to offend if the class got a bit overly excited, but there was also no neighborly advice when the lesson went poorly. No uninvited public address system interrupted with announcements having nothing to do with my students, but there also were no public address system announcements concerning my students. What I gained in autonomy, independence, and opportunity for personal growth, I paid for in a loss of cooperative relationships, collegial support, and collaborative interaction. My second year of teaching marked my move into the building. As a university professor and researcher I have learned my realization is not unique.
Teachers everywhere suffer from professional isolation.
But this isn't always the case. Often, the words cooperation, collegiality, and collaboration are used interchangeably, as if they were somehow synonymous and equal. Yet, when thought of as conceptually distinct ideas, they offer educators a window into the world of school and teacher interaction. Cooperation Cooperation is best described as the most basic level of social and intellectual interaction among teachers. When teachers group students for math, reading, science, or social studies instruction, they are acting cooperatively.