Communities of Practice in Higher Ed

This is a sales pitch! I'm selling the idea that, as educators, we can be more effective if we share our teaching practices in a Community of Practice.

I think that teaching is a social endeavor and most teachers are social in nature but the practice of teaching can be very lonely. Even if you teach in a face-to-face environment, you are usually the only teacher in the room. And, very few of us schedule time to share ideas and practices with other instructors.

Let's take a moment to imagine an opposite world in which Communities of Practice are popular:

It's Thursday of Week 1. You teach First-Year English online and see your inbox filling up with assignments and student questions. You feel hopeless and overwhelmed and are not sure how you will get through your work before the weekend. Wait! Your Community of Practice for instructors of First-Year English meets today. Suddenly you breathe easier, happy to connect with your peers.

At the meeting, one of your colleagues shares a video link she found on a topic covered in the class this week - she says that it has helped her learners who struggle with written content. Wow! You can provide that video link to three of your students who emailed you about that specific content and save the resource for future terms. You have relieved some of your inbox overflow.

Another colleague discussed that the instructions for the Week 1 assignment seem to have confused several students in her class resulting in them writing more than they need to write (and her needing to read more than she needs to read). She shared language that she put in an Announcement to her class clarifying the assignment. Perfect. You copy the language, create an Announcement, and have succeeded in removing a learning barrier for your students. You also save this information for next term.

Can you picture that world? The Communities of Practice world?

Sharing ideas, resources, and points of discomfort with your professional peers can lead to better mental health and greater job satisfaction. So, let's do it! It doesn't have to be formal - identify a group, send an invitation, include some ground rules about being kind to each other and staying on-topic, and see what happens.

Let's keep moving! Do you think I am overstating the positive impact of Communities of Practice? Are you a member of a Community of Practice and have stories of success or struggle to share? Please enter your comments below.

Andrea Charles

Photo credit: Smithsonian Open Access: Improved School Desk, Patented by Frank G Johnson, 1881