By NEAL MORTON, The Hechinger Report MESA, Ariz. — A teacher-in-training darted among students, tallying how many needed his help with a history unit on Islam. A veteran math teacher hovered near a cluster of desks, coaching some 50 freshmen on a geometry assignment. A science teacher checked students' homework, while an English teacher spoke into a microphone at the front of the classroom, giving instruction, to keep students on track.
By giving teachers more opportunity to collaborate and greater control over how and what they teach, Mesa's administrators hoped to fill staffing gaps and boost teacher morale and retention. Initial research suggests the gamble could pay off. This year, the district expanded the concept to a third of its 82 schools. The team-teaching strategy is also drawing interest from school leaders across the U.S.
"Teachers are doing fantastic things, but it's very rare a teacher walks into another room to see what's happening," said Andi Fourlis, superintendent of Mesa Public Schools, one of 10 Arizona districts that have adopted the model."Our profession is so slow to advance because we are working in isolation."
On a recent morning at Westwood High, the four teachers and 135 freshmen on the team settled into a boisterous routine.
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