Something Actually About Being a 6th Grade Teacher

Okay, so I haven't posted much about teaching lately, only because I am not doing it right now. But, I just had a three day class called CORE Academy. I learned so much that I want to take back to my classroom for next year. Tuesday we talked about graphing and how we can introduce it and how we can teach it. Then we learned about decimals, fractions, and percent, and how we can use teach those three the way they are meant to be taught, they are all one. Wednesday we made foam rockets, burned our re-entry shield (talking about how technology helps us explore space). Learned about why we have seasons and the tilt of the Earth. Today we learned about Heat, and measurement. Over the last three days I have thought about journals and how I am going to use them in my everyday classroom. I have some ideas we will see if they will work, and if I can be more successful this year.
The funniest/weirdest/ best part of the week was when I walked into my class and I saw my 6th grade teacher. He had retired a few years back, but now he is teaching again. I never called him by his name, it would have been too weird to call him, Mike. It was weird enough to see him as an equal, rather than a teacher. But, it was also good.
I also sat by two other teachers from my old elementary. I watched them interact, and discuss how they could use it as a grade, and what they wanted to do, and how they could do it. And I was a little envious. I really would like to work with my team, but I honestly don't like their way of working. At CORE I was the youngest one of the group I was in and they were willing to listen to my suggestions, to even try it. I felt that I was able to have some input into the group. However, at school it is totally different. They don't want to listen to the suggestions I have. Seeing all these different groups work together made me realize what a team can do when they work together, when they are willing to listen to other ideas and learn from each other. It isn't just the older teachers telling the younger teachers how to do their job. It is the older helping the younger teacher become a better teacher, while not only helping them with ideas, but listening to the ideas they might have. They both have great ideas, it is just a matter what works best for the type of teacher you are or they are. I need to be more willing to learn from those around me, and I also need to be more willing to step-up and say, "Hey! I've got a great idea for you to try. What do you think?" Even if I feel that they won't see the value of the idea I have. At least I tried to be a cooperative teammate.