As we emerge from the isolation of a pandemic, a whole new set of challenges emerges with us–gaps, burnout, chaos. But out of the darkness comes the opportunity to imagine a new story–a story that melds our individual lights into a collective luminescence.

Much is written about the ways in which teachers can “help themselves” avoid burnout and address their own social and emotional needs. Teachers are advised to reduce stress by making time for themselves, getting a hobby, or slowing down their work pace; they are urged to take care of themselves so they can take care of the kids. All of these actions are valid; however, equally valid is the view that making time for these approaches puts teachers further behind in their work.  And why is the burden of reducing stress something that teachers must do alone?  In this session, we argue that collaborative integration is one way to rekindle lost enthusiasm in a way that “the whole teacher” is supported without the onus of losing ground. We argue that all teachers benefit from shared responsibility. It is time for the silos to be dismantled.  

In the whole student approach to education, the CDC  advises that students need to be enveloped in a network of support provided by teachers, administrators and their community. We argue that these guidelines are equally relevant to teachers and can be realized by interdisciplinary collaboration and curriculum design.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a learner-centered approach to education that can facilitate this move toward interdependence. PBL empowers learners by entrusting them to conduct research in order to determine their own learning path as they develop a viable solution to a complex, authentic problem.  Throughout the process, students reflect on what they are learning and revise the process in order to ensure an optimal outcome.  In this model, the instructor facilitates knowledge-building and application. And, in the pursuit of innovative solutions to complex problems, students leverage what they have learned across the disciplines. These inseparable links are the heart and soul of knowing and learning.