🤓 NerdSquad Notes 26.04: The Power of We


The Power of We

Teaching can feel like an individual sport played at team-level intensity, which is a cruel little joke when the workload starts stacking up. Collaboration reminds us that we were never meant to carry all of it alone. When educators share ideas, divide the mental load, and lean on each other’s strengths, burnout loses some of its grip. Support does not always have to be dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a shared lesson, a quick hallway brainstorm, or someone saying, “I’ve got a resource for that.”

Collaboration is also more than a survival strategy - it is a skill our classrooms desperately need. When teachers model problem-solving, flexibility, communication, and collective thinking, students learn that success is not just about individual performance. It is about building something better together. In a profession that asks so much, “we” can be both the relief valve and the roadmap.

📚 4 Levels of Collaboration by Kelly Hincks

This thoughtful piece from Kelly Hincks breaks teacher-librarian collaboration into four clear levels: sharing, cooperation, coordination, and integration. Instead of treating collaboration like some magical all-or-nothing unicorn, it shows how partnerships can develop over time, from swapping resources to fully co-planning and co-teaching lessons. It is a helpful reminder that working with your librarian or media specialist does not have to start big to be impactful. Even small steps can lead to stronger instruction, better alignment, and a lot less of that “everyone is doing everything alone” energy.

📖 Truth for Teachers: More Efficient
Co-planning ✨

This episode from Truth for Teachers is a helpful reminder that co-planning should lighten the load, not become its own full-time job. Angela Watson shares practical ways to make lesson planning with a team more efficient, like dividing responsibilities by strength, planning key pieces independently, and using team time to refine rather than create everything from scratch. It is a smart, realistic resource for teachers who want the benefits of collaboration without the five-hour-meeting nonsense.

✨ Hot Tips, Calm Brains

April is National School Librarian Month, making it the perfect time to celebrate the Power of We in our schools. When teachers and librarians collaborate, students benefit from stronger research skills, richer learning experiences, and access to powerful digital tools. By partnering on lesson design, research projects, and student publishing, educators can combine content expertise with information literacy and media skills. The tools below highlight simple ways teachers and librarians can work together to support student learning through collaboration, creativity, and shared expertise. 📚💡

Wakelet – Curate Research Together

Teachers and librarians can co-create a Wakelet collection with vetted articles, videos, and databases for student research. Students can also add sources, notes, and reflections in one place. It’s an easy way to model digital curation and credible research practices.
(Get 20% off the Annual Pro Plan with code EDTECHNERDS20)

Canva for Education – Collaborative Student Publishing

Partner with your librarian to help students turn research into infographics, digital books, or presentations using Canva. Librarians can support copyright, image use, and design basics while teachers guide the content. Students work together to produce polished digital products.

Mindful Moments in the Library

Libraries are natural spaces for reflection and focus. Try partnering with your school librarian to create a “Mindful Minute” before research or reading time. Invite students to pause, take a few slow breaths, and set an intention for learning. This simple practice helps students reset, improves focus, and reinforces the library as a shared space for calm, curiosity, and collaboration. 🧠📚

Want more hot collaboration tips? Join our FREE monthly coaching call on Tuesday, April 14th, 6pm CDT!

🧩 Featured Tool: Breakout EDU Kit

A Breakout EDU box kit turns lessons into collaborative puzzle challenges. Teachers and librarians can co-design research or literacy escape activities where students work together to solve clues using books, databases, and critical thinking. It’s perfect for the Power of We theme because success depends on teamwork, communication, and shared problem-solving.

Why Breakout Boxes?

  • Encourages collaboration among students
  • Easy for librarians and teachers to co-plan
  • Works across grade levels and subjects

Upcoming EdTech Nerds Events

📣 Nerd Alert!

Our very own Chief Tech Nerd, Kris, is joining the April 7th episode of the TCEA Podcast, The Stuff I Learned About Learning.

If you want something smart in your ears that still feels like teacher talk over coffee, The Stuff I Learned About Learning: A TCEA Podcast is a solid pick. Each episode features real educators digging into what actually works in classrooms, from STEM nights to library shifts to everyday instructional wins and flops.

🥪 Lunch-n-Learn Webinar

Our very own Chief Education Nerd, Destiny, will be co-hosting a webinar as part of TCEA's Lunch-n-Learn series April 8th.

Grab a sandwich and watch as we go "Beyond Red Pens: Tailoring Feedback for Diverse Learners". Explore tools like Stickity, Beep, and ScreenPal to accommodate the variety of needs of your students.

📣 Back to ISTE!

Destiny and Kris are both presenting at ISTELive 26 in Orlando, Florida, happening June 28 to July 1, 2026.

If you are heading to ISTE, keep an eye out for our sessions and come say hi. We would love to connect and swap ideas.


📢🤓 Announcements

Get a peek into our membership and jump in on our NERDSquad+ Monthly Coaching Call for free on Tuesday, April 14th at 6pm CST. From AI-enhanced research tools to student engagement strategies like book clubs, we'll be taking questions and talking about how teachers and librarians can work together to level up student learning.

🔗: https://meet.google.com/ozg-gnvd-doz

🪄 Need a quick win (and maybe your Sunday back)?

Check out the EdTech Nerds Digital Shop, packed with ready-to-roll lessons and digital goodies that do the heavy lifting for you.

💡 Nerd Hack: Join NERDSquad+ membership and score shop discounts and early access to every shiny new product we cook up. You get to test-drive the goods for free before they hit the shelves because real nerds get the good stuff first. (Enter code FMF2026 at checkout for your first month free).

📣 Bring EdTech Nerds to Your School or District!

Want a fun, high-energy PL session that leaves your staff feeling energized and equipped? We offer custom workshops on everything from mindful tech use to creative classroom tools, and we’d love to support your team. Let’s make PL feel like less of a chore and more like a collaborative recharge.

“That was the first PD where I left with actual tools I could use the next day - and I didn’t feel overwhelmed!”
— Instructional Coach, Texas

👨‍💻 Know anyone who might find this newsletter helpful?

Forward them this newsletter and have them click here to sign up. New subscribers also get free access to our Calm+Focus Starter Kit.

Remember, we’re all in this together. See you next time, NERDSquad!

Until next time,
Destiny & Kris

Let's connect! 💬 You can find me on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.

Connect with Kris - Bluesky & Instagram

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EdTech Nerds

At EdTech Nerds, we blend mindfulness with practical tech solutions to help teachers streamline their workload without sacrificing their well-being. Our goal is to help educators reclaim their time, avoid burnout, and build a more balanced, fulfilling teaching life.

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