Collaboration & Co-Teaching

Collaboration

Defining Characteristics of Collaboration Parity – Teachers are equal partners – Equally valued decisions and contributions Mutual Goals – Shared goal for the student – Not everyone has to agree on how to reach goal – Find a common ground for reaching that goal Voluntary – Collaboration will not be successful if everyone does not want to be involved – Seek advice from administrator or mentor Shared Responsibility, Resources, and Accountability – Share materials and resources – Share responsibility of student outcomes

Guidelines for Inclusive Settings Match students and teachers – Review IEPs and records, and suggestions from other teachers and paraprofessionals Have clear expectations – Eliminates confusion and creates a positive beginning – Everyone should a clearly defined role and clearly define expectations – Everyone should know the goals for the students Monitor student progress – Gives information on whether students is demonstrating growth – Everyone should have access to this information to facilitate collaboration

Check your B’s Believe in the process – The inclusive setting can meet the students needs – That collaboration improves student progress Be understanding – Different perspectives based on training, experience, and beliefs – Different perspectives can result in creative solutions, but also cause conflict Be flexible – Not always a right answer to a problem – Compromise and be willing to try new Be respectful – Important to maintain respect for others – Equal partners in meeting the needs of students

Small Strategies - Big Impact Set a regularly scheduled time for communication – Look at schedules, find common times, and put it on the calendar – Prioritizing this time shows dedication and respect Give immediate assistance – Helps the general education teacher feel supported – Quick response to needs strengthens the relationship Give positive feedback – Important for the morale of all involved – Builds a positive relationship

Helping General Educators Provide Accommodations, Adapt Curriculum and Modify Behavior – Ensures access to the general education curriculum Communicate the IEP to general educators – Cheat sheets with a list of students and their accommodations Meet with the professionals involved – Review the IEP plan and specific responsibilities Monitor implementation – Checking in to see how the accommodations or modifications are being implemented Make yourself available and don’t wait for them to ask for help – Even when it isn’t your regularly scheduled time – Provide suggestions

Preventing Resistance Foster time and create relationships – Take initiative and communicate with the other teacher – Can promote a relationship and give you insight Cultivate collaboration and communication skills – Reflect upon your own communication skills How well you do listen and encourage others to share ideas? Do you use clear language and state differing opinions tactfully? Do you acknowledge other’s skills, experiences and contributions with passing judgment? Can you navigate through challenges and negotiate to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes? Can you admit when your idea is not the best? Set a common goal and share responsibility – When there is conflict this allows teachers to refocus their efforts to working towards a common goal

Dealing With Resistance When faced with resistance – Take initiative and communicate – Assert yourself in ways that do not intimidate or ignore other’s concerns – Focus on building and modeling a sense of community Always: – Be aware of resistance – Identify sources of resistance – Develop proactive strategies for dealing for resistance

Co-Teaching

What Is and Is Not Co-Teaching? Is: – Two or more teachers working together in the same classroom – Planning, teaching, sharing other classroom tasks, and reflecting together – Choose assessments together – Both teachers are mindful of IEP goals – Both teachers are actively engaged with the students Is Not: – When students are "pulled out" to receive instruction or always instructed in a separate part of the classroom – When lessons are planned separately or by only one teacher – When one teachers teaches and one helps – When teachers alternate who manages the classroom

Models for Structuring Instruction Parallel – Divide the class – Both teachers teach same content Centers – Divide content and students, teach mini-lessons, switch groups and repeat Alternate – Divide by one large group and one small group. – Smaller group is higher need students, teacher alternate who teaches this group. Teaming – No division. – Alternate providing instruction and supporting students.

Characteristics of Successful Co- Teaching Valuing each other – Appreciate your co-teachers unique skills and learn from them Displaying a willingness to collaborate – Show a positive attitude and optimistic outlook Focusing on students – Based on students needs to facilitate professional growth Negotiating – Respect each other’s opinions, listen, share concerns, and settle differences together Developing Parity – Evenly represent the daily responsibilities of both teachers Using unique skills – Use unique strengths to contribute and help students achieve

The Co-Teacher Relationship Work together from the start! – Before school Begins Work together to plan your co-teaching Know about your students needs are before meeting with the teacher – Building Relationships: Share about yourself and your excitement and commitment – Review the Student and Content Goals Review the goals for the year and have a clear picture of state mandated and IEP requirements before making decisions – Make Important Decisions Choose at model of co-teaching that matches your content, the student needs, and your comfort level How will you share resources, grade students, arrange the room etc. – Make a checklist of the fundamental issues to address Helps avoid misunderstandings and facilitates communication

Collaborative Records Assists collaborative team in noting successes, challenges, and to identify patterns in behaviors Provides information for IEP team – Not all members of IEP team will be present – A log can assist with decisions in the IEP meeting Serves as a record of responsibilities – Proves you have met your responsibilities to parents, principals, administrators etc. – Will show your role in collaboration If your district does not already have a log template, make your own – Simple chart with date, people in attendance, topic discussed, decisions made, action steps taken

Example of a Collaborative Log DateStudentDiscussedDecisionActionWhose Responsible 3/4/13TommyStudent is disruptive during reading time Many possible causes so need to investigate further Talk to student and try to determine source of misbehavior Mrs. Green 3/6/13TommyStudent indicated he was having trouble reading out loud Need to determine why. Is it fluency or a specific decoding problem? Give fluency and decoding assessments Ms. Smith

Barriers and How To Over Come Them Time – Find a common regularly scheduled time to meet – Agree to make this a priority – If needed, ask the principal to help give you time Commitment – Change models to provide more equal allocation of responsibilities – Show your co-teacher the difference their contribution makes to the outcome of the students Differences in styles – Attempt to negotiate some minor adaptations to existing management or plan to meet both your students’ needs are your own

Conclusions Collaboration is a necessary role for special educators Should be student-focused, and based on principles such as parity, shared goals, shared responsibilities, and respect Special and general educators need to work together on a common goal Delivery models and individual student needs will dictate amount of collaboration necessary Use proactive strategies to strengthen collaboration Part of your role is to help general educators provide accommodations, adapt curriculum, and modify behavior Keep records of relationships to maintain focus, and provide documentation of progress Co-teaching allows shared instructional responsibilities to meet the needs of the students

For additional information, the information in this power point came from: Billingsley, B. S., Brownell, M. T., Israel, M., & Kamman, M. L. (2013). A Survival Guide for New Special Educators, San Franciso, CA. Jossey-Bass. /productCd ,descCd- release_text.html