Let’s Build Something Beautiful—Together
The Power of WE!
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In our last post, we ended with a powerful invitation: Let’s build something beautiful together. And we meant it.
In a field that is as inspiring as it is unpredictable, one of the greatest gifts we can offer, both to each other and to ourselves, is the Power of We.
Collaboration.
Connection.
Shared purpose.
These are the foundations that carry us through challenges and help us reimagine what’s possible for our students and our schools.
Since our last post, Trici and I have had the joy of presenting to several incredible colleagues from districts across Long Island. We shared our journey toward a more structured literacy approach and how we worked to align core instruction across all five elementary schools, creating true coherence from kindergarten through grade 5, with the beginnings of that work starting to take hold in the secondary levels. Essentially, we were sharing our blueprint for literacy.
But beyond the content, there were three key ideas we hoped every participant would take with them—three simple truths that anchor all our work:
Anything is possible.
We are better when we build together.
Psychological safety is a priority.
If nothing else stayed with them, we wanted those ideas to stay.
We began our session with the conviction that The Power of We is where real growth begins. And we’re not talking about change for the sake of change. We’re talking about meaningful, purposeful growth. Because with growth, we begin to see what’s truly possible.
So, who needs a seat at the table when you begin to think about any curricular transformation?
For us, that's simple: it’s the high-contact, high-influence people. These are the individuals who frequently and directly engage with others in the building, inspire and lead by example, and shape their colleagues' thinking.
And the exciting part? That group will look different depending on the project.
Consider this:
For building a literacy blueprint, we turned to the reading and TESOL teachers.
For selecting and implementing a new math app, we turned to the math coaches.
For developing our MTSS framework, we tapped grade-level leaders and combined their efforts with the reading, math, and TESOL teachers.
For creating knowledge-based, interdisciplinary units of study, we drew on the expertise of teacher leaders from each building and, in the upper grades, sought insights from the grade-level team.
Your high-contact, high-influence people will shift based on your goals. Adding building-level administrators who can support, align, and sustain effective practices only deepens the impact.
Imagine the possibilities.
So what if you had the opportunity to assemble a high-impact instructional team?
What would be possible? What would be the benefits?
According to John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, one of the most impactful factors on student achievement is collective teacher efficacy (CTE): the shared belief among educators that they can positively affect student outcomes.
CTE has an effect size of 1.57
That means students in schools where educators believe in their collective power grow academically by more than a year and a half compared to those in schools without that shared belief.
To nurture that belief, we must first create the conditions that allow it to thrive. That begins with psychological safety, a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. And it continues by cultivating the Habits of Mind (Art Costa and Bena Kallick), which are the cornerstone of emotionally intelligent communities.
When we model these habits in our professional interactions, we invite interdependence, innovation, and shared ownership of success.
One Protocol That Supports This Work
To help teams internalize these ideas, we revisited an old favorite: "The Key to Effective Teams in Schools" by Elena Aguilar (2015).
We asked teams to read the article, then reflected on indicators of high emotional intelligence (EI) posted around the room. Using a "Vote with Your Feet" protocol, participants used sticker stars to identify the indicators that mattered most to them.
This visual, democratic process allowed everyone to be heard. Teams reflected together, reached consensus, and co-constructed a set of values that would guide their work, their collective norms for how they wanted to show up for one another.
These values became their anchor, reviewed at every session. And they marked the first real step toward building collective efficacy.
The Result?
We saw the research come alive:
A shared belief in our ability to impact student success.
Greater enthusiasm and engagement from teachers.
Stronger student participation and learning outcomes.
The message is clear: together, teachers can achieve more, especially when they believe they can. That is The Power of We!
Pro Tips: This protocol and article can also be used with:
Parent groups, such as strategic planning teams and PTA curriculum committees, help ground conversations in values and emotional intelligence.
Students need to build awareness of the habits and skills that support thriving communities. Instead of focusing on rules (compliance), focus on norms and values (choice and connection).
And remember: you can make it your own. Ask participants, “How do you want to show up for others? How do you want others to show up for you?” Use those responses to shape your list of EI indicators. The article can serve as your spark, and your creativity will take it from there.
Call to Action:
Try this approach this school year and drop us a note to let us know what resonated with you and your team. As you design your classroom experiences, workshops, or team meetings, remember:
Together, we can do so much more.
Because we believe in The Power of We!