Collaboration is Right in Front of You

This post was originally published on 12.03.21 in a part of a newsletter sent to teachers in the district I serve. 

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A lot of times when I’m out in public I see things like Pareidolia. Sometimes, I seek them out. Other times, they find me. Either way, you’re looking for something that exists within or around something else. Taking that a step further, when you check out what Jan Vormann is doing with LEGO bricks, you can see the mash up between old and new. The contrast between old bricks and modern plastic. Decay vs. “repairs.” Splashes of color against the mostly plain bricks.

You can also see the blending of two separate art forms. One, older, but providing the structure. One, newer that is filling in the gaps. I can’t not relate this to education. How the structure of old is still there, but also the new trying to work it’s way in. Filling the gaps. Starting small in little pockets that have fallen or crumbled. Waiting for the old to fall so it can “build” even more. This also leads to Steve Wheen, the Pothole Gardener. He finds potholes (not normally in the middle of roads) and transforms them into beautiful gardens. See more of his gardening on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/potholegardener or this spiffy little video.

They’re pretty neat. I don’t know what happens when someone steps on them, but you’re probably not supposed to think about things like that. Anyway, it’s another example of combining two things. A pothole and a mini-garden. It’s like they were made for each other like peanut butter and jelly, mac-n-cheese, fries and a Frosty. You get it. What type of collaboration could you get into with your lessons? Could you incorporate something from outside of education? Could you and a colleague work together to create something awesome? Does something you do in your classroom jive with something another teacher does? Could you WWE Tag Team it?

Take for instance a cat. These musicians from all over the world collaborated on this piece of music. It’s worth watching all the way through to see all the different artists and instruments.

If these people started a collab with a cat, I imagine there is something or someone in our district that you could collab with. Blend stuff together. Because the world needs more Creators, like you. Yes, you. Go create stuff and Show Your Work.

Reach out if you need anything or want to collaborate. May your day be great. Stay Curious. Give more than you take. Try something new. Matt