Embedded Files
Collaborationfinal.pdfFor special education teachers, constantly working with a wide range of people—other teachers, school staff, families, and caregivers―is more than part of the job description. Working with these various groups and collaborating with them is essential and ultimately provides many benefits for the children we work to support. Implementing collaboration practices builds effective relationships and creates a better understanding of students’ needs, which allows them to succeed.
HLP 1: collaborate with professionals to increase student success
HLP 1: collaborate with professionals to increase student success
Collaboration with general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff is necessary to support students’ learning toward measurable outcomes and to facilitate students’ social and emotional well-being across all school environments and instructional settings (e.g., co-taught). Collaboration with individuals or teams requires the use of effective collaboration behaviors (e.g., sharing ideas, active listening, questioning, planning, problem solving, negotiating) to develop and adjust instructional or behavioral plans based on student data, and the coordination of expectations, responsibilities, and resources to maximize student learning.
HLP 2: organize and facilitate effective meetings with professionals and families
HLP 2: organize and facilitate effective meetings with professionals and families
Teachers lead and participate in a range of meetings (e.g., meetings with families, individualized education program [IEP] teams, individualized family services plan [IFSP] teams, instructional planning) with the purpose of identifying clear, measurable student outcomes and developing instructional and behavioral plans that support these outcomes. They develop a meeting agenda, allocate time to meet the goals of the agenda, and lead in ways that encourage consensus building through positive verbal and nonverbal communication, encouraging the sharing of multiple perspectives, demonstrating active listening, and soliciting feedback.
hlp 3: collaborate with families to support student learning and secure needed services
hlp 3: collaborate with families to support student learning and secure needed services
Teachers collaborate with families about individual children’s needs, goals, programs, and progress over time and ensure families are informed about their rights as well as about special education processes (e.g., IEPs, IFSPs). Teachers should respectfully and effectively communicate considering the background, socioeconomic status, language, culture, and priorities of the family. Teachers advocate for resources to help students meet instructional, behavioral, social, and transition goals. In building positive relationships with students, teachers encourage students to self-advocate, with the goal of fostering self-determination over time. Teachers also work with families to self-advocate and support their children’s learning.
Report abuse