Even though the responses to my questionnaire seem to indicate that teachers are willing to work collaboratively and change the patterns of their interaction in schools, we cannot ignore that any change process implies challenge and is accompanied by some anxiety Fullan, 1999 32 and resistance. teachers are challenged by unpredictable and ambiguous situations, in which the participants students, peers, family and administrative personnel are also subjects, acting according to their different and sometimes conflicting interests, values and perceptions. These conflicting interests can hinder any kind of innovation to be implemented if previous information and a well elaborated set of actions are not available and well managed by the project leader. In order to make decisions valid for the whole group, teachers need to deepen their questioning and their understanding, trying to unveil hidden aspects of the reality they are facing and negotiating perspectives Hargreaves, 1994. This kind of thinking is committed to action, it is rooted in each particular organisational context in which it takes place and produces new answers to overcome common problems. As teachers are personally and emotionally involved, and as the action plan is undertaken while they are practising, they cannot suspend action while reflecting. Their theorisation is precarious and marked by urgency Hargreaves, 1994. At 28 ULBRA, tutors have to cope with 40 teaching hours a week and the almost innate tendency to follow the old traditional teaching/training process. To overcome these deficiencies and lend some validity to this complex process, teachers have to engage in collaborative reflection, dialoguing with the group, listening to others difficulties and their different points of view, sharing perspectives, in an attempt to reach consensus. In doing so, participants are also learning to become more responsible, more committed, and more capable of criticising, analysing and understanding their practices, producing meaning and practical knowledge about teaching. This dialogical and reflective attitude is in itself a change in the school culture Elliott, 1993. However, unfortunately at the moment this is not the kind of institutional culture we have, as we are still dealing with a culture of contrived collegiality, it is as if it has become mandatory that practitioners collaborate voluntarily Hargreaves, 199465. Whitaker, 1993 points out different reasons why some teachers may resist the innovation, When change is proposed we may feel bereft of the psychological props upon which much of our personal and professional credibility is built. So we fight to remain intact by seeking to preserve the status quo 1993 62. For some teachers there is a lack of trust for others, jealousy This idea is not mine, so I dont want to help, and others simply resist any kind of change because they are used to the old system. Also, according to Whitaker 1993 62, some of the arguments teachers may use are , We dont have the time. Lets get back to reality We do not have the resources , You cant teach an old dog new tricks We have managed so far without it , It wont work in our department 199362. It is crucial to deal with resistance before and during the implementation of a peer collaborative mentoring program, and even in the follow-up activities. The following is a sample of the range of practical questions which need to be addressed What will the structure and content of the mentor-mentee contact be, On what basis will the mentors be selected and by whom, On what basis will the mentees be selected and by whom, How will the mentors and mentees be matched or paired and by whom, When, where, how often, and for how long will mentors and mentees meet, Who will serve as the coordinator of the mentor program and what will be the coordinators role, What records will be kept, by whom, and for what purposes, How will outcome be measured and who will be responsible for coordinating the program evaluation Lawson 1989 and Tomlinson 1995 have highlighted a number of critical components, which need addressing in implementing such programmes. Aside from the practical questions listed above, Lawson discussed the importance of these additional issues a assessing the needs of teachers before implementing the program, and b generating a broad base of support within the institution. In the past, attempts to transform schools into critical communities faced difficulties derived from attitudes of resistance to change and from the bureaucratic structure of the system, called by Hargreaves, a culture of Contrived Collegiality. Teachers and students have learned the art of managing bureaucracy very well.
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