Collaboration

“At the broadest level, collaboration is important in schools because it has become a defining characteristic of society in the 21^st century. If you examine publications in business, health, social services, technology, and other major disciplines, you will find that collaboration is a unifying theme.”

- Marilyn Friend, Ph.D

The final initial content standard for the Council for Exceptional Children calls for the understanding and desire for collaboration. Collaboration is the defining tool for effective inclusive practice. I have had the privilege of experiencing four different inclusive placements which relied heavily on collaboration. I have taken on many different roles throughout these placements which have ultimately led to my understanding for the need for collaboration along with how to manage professional collaborative relationships. Marilyn Friend and Lyne Cook (2013) have identified six models for co-teaching which I have been able to implement in these experiences.

Collaboration does not only pertain to professionals but it is also a skill that should be taught in the classroom. Student interactions are rich in spontaneous positive moments. When students learn to work together, it helps to influence a positive classroom climate where students feel comfortable without feelings of judgment and embarrassment. Most importantly, collaboration is something that students will continuously see for the remainder of their education as well as when they reach the post-secondary world. Along with student collaboration, it is important that we find a time to collaborate with parents. Parents can offer a great deal of insight into who a child is and their educational goals. All of our decisions should be in the best interest of the student while respecting the values of their parents. As a special educator, I will be having many opportunities to collaborate with parents on classroom instruction, IEP planning, and IEP implementation. It is crucial that I keep these collaborative relationships positive to continuously ensure that my intentions are sincere and in the child’s best interest.

During my first elementary placement, I was co-placed in a 4^th grade classroom with an elementary education intern. We found out very quickly that we were polar opposites in personality, teaching styles, and upbringing. Although most would think that this was the recipe for disaster, it was the perfect scenario for effective collaboration. We had a great balance between the two of us and from the early moments, a foundation based on trust was established. When we had difference in opinion, we handled them professionally through justification via the interest of each child. There were times when we convinced each other to try something new. We also understood how to give and receive feedback. The one characteristic that I believe to be the most important piece of our success in a collaborative setting was that no student in the classroom saw me as the “Special Education Teacher”. The kids looked at both my partner and I as the classroom teachers.

One of our formal lesson plans from this collaborative setting was to show how multiples forms of instruction can be used. For this lesson plan, we were teaching adding/subtraction of three digit whole numbers. The lesson was dominated by team teaching. We switched out responsibilities on leading instruction as we used guided practice to transition from concrete to abstract understanding of the material. For the final piece of the lesson, we split the class into two equal groups and began parallel teaching. During this time, we had set up a game for each group to play. The decision to switch to parallel teaching was a proactive classroom management decision along with allowing for more individualized instruction and informal assessment. This activity was also a method of getting the students moving while engaging them in interactive collaborative fun.

Another lesson that my co-teacher and I developed and implemented helped to show how technology can be incorporated as an essential resource of the classroom. We completed a conceptual modeling project which targeted a specific math skill and resulted in the creation of an online tutorial featuring guided practice. For this project, we used the distributive property of multiplication. The video is a great tool to be given to students so they can watch at their own pace but it is also a good resource to show parents the techniques being used. I also see these types of lessons being a proactive strategy for students who are tardy and absent frequently. This tool has many benefits and it was also a great team building activity for my co-teacher and me.

Collaboration will always be an important part of maintaining professional and parental relationships. It is also shown to have an effect on the classroom environment in which more needs of the students are met. Collaboration is a tool and a resource that helps bring in new perspectives and adds to the potential success of classroom operations and routines. The 21^st century classroom is a dynamic collaborative environment. The effectiveness of this classroom relies on the ability to talk, listen, and make continuous decisions in the best interest of the children.

References:

Friend, M. P., & Cook, L. (2013). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. Boston: Pearson.

Council for Exceptional Children. (2009). What every special educator must know: Ethics, standards, and guidelines (6th Ed.). Arlington, VA.