Collaboration: An Essential Component of Education Information for this presentation were found in the following resources: Bursuck, Friend, & Best (1999); Polloway & Patton (1999); Rusch & Chadsey (1998), Hobbs & Westling (1998) Your Name, Title, and Date

The Effective Educator Establishes appropriate order the first Establishes appropriate order the first day/week of school day/week of school Affects and touches the lives of others Affects and touches the lives of others Has positive expectations for student success Has positive expectations for student success Knows how to design lessons for student Knows how to design lessons for student mastery mastery Understands district's, schools', departments' Understands district's, schools', departments' or grade level curriculum or grade level curriculum Is flexible and adaptive Is flexible and adaptive Teachers with proven research based practices Teachers with proven research based practices Works collaboratively with others Works collaboratively with others

Collaborators General Educators Special Educators Parents, Guardians Students Specialists and Related Service Providers School Psychologists Social Workers Therapists (Speech, OT, PT…) Interpreters Paraprofessionals Administrators Community Agency Service Providers Advocates University Faculty Teachers in Training Others???

What is… What is… Collaboration? Collaboration?

Collaboration Characteristics Collaboration Characteristics - It is voluntary and cannot be forced - personal choice/attitude personal choice/attitude - It is based on parity - all participants and contributions are valued and contributions are valued - It requires shared/mutual goals - at least 1 - It includes shared responsibility and accountability - for participation, key accountability - for participation, key decisions, and "+" and "-" results decisions, and "+" and "-" results - It is based on shared resources - they come in many packages they come in many packages - It is emergent - it takes time, encouragement, and appreciation essential encouragement, and appreciation essential

Conflict - is disagreement and opposition. - occurs when divergent ideas, - occurs when divergent ideas, interests, needs, and/or other interests, needs, and/or other internal or external demands internal or external demands exist. exist. - is essential. - is essential. - should not be feared. - should not be feared. Collaboration Encounters

Conflict involves…. Attacking a problem, not a person. not a person.

Consensus - general agreement. Occurs when respectful consideration of divergent ideas and needs to cooperatively reach a solution that all team members can support … Collaboration Encounters (continued) "Can you live with it?" "Is this a win - win situation?" "Is the student coming first?"

Consensus does NOT involve - compromise, or - compromise, or - voting where majority rules - voting where majority rules

Stages of Teaming Stages of Teaming - Forming - Storming - Norming - Performing - Performing - Peak- out

Strategies for Team Building Strategies for Team Building 1. Have a purpose 1. Have a purpose 2. Effectively communicate 2. Effectively communicate (verbally and non-verbally) (verbally and non-verbally) 3. Genuinely listen 3. Genuinely listen - attend to the other person without preoccupation without preoccupation - be aware of the way things - be aware of the way things are said are said - be aware of what is NOT - be aware of what is NOT being said being said

Step 1: Defining the problem "What problems do we see "What problems do we see here?" List them here?" List them Step 2: Identifying causes (Look at academic, social, or (Look at academic, social, or behavioral factors-- contextual behavioral factors-- contextual variables--antecedents and variables--antecedents and causal relationships) causal relationships) Step 3: Setting objectives "What are our preferred "What are our preferred outcomes regarding these outcomes regarding these problems?" "How would problems?" "How would we like this situation to look we like this situation to look a year from now?" a year from now?" Step 4: Identifying solution activities Step 5: Monitoring success (What, when, why, how and who?) (What, when, why, how and who?)

Maximizing Successful Problem-Solving - Problem identification and planning should be carried out in the context of a structured team process. - Planning and solution activities should involve everyone affected by the problem. - Problems should be dealt with in an ongoing manner. - Problems and solution activities should be documented. - The planning and solution process should be flexible. - Team members should reward positive results and celebrate their successes.

Models of Co-Teaching Models of Co-Teaching * Tips for working collaboratively with educators, volunteers and anyone who interacts with youth volunteers and anyone who interacts with youth - One Teaching, One Assisting - Station Teaching - (Centers) - Parallel Teaching - (Same content, smaller groups) smaller groups) - Alternative Teaching - (Larger group and smaller group) group and smaller group) - Team Teaching

Co-Teaching Pragmatics Co-Teaching Pragmatics - Select approach to co-teaching and co-planning and co-planning * Who plans the curriculum? * Who plans the curriculum? * Who adapts or develops * Who adapts or develops individualized curricula? individualized curricula? * Who plans instructional * Who plans instructional procedures? procedures? * Who adapts or develops * Who adapts or develops individualized instructional individualized instructional procedures? procedures?

Co-Teaching Pragmatics (continued) Evaluation Planning Evaluation Planning * Who evaluates student performance on a daily basis? performance on a daily basis? * Who develops periodic assessment of student progress? assessment of student progress? * Who evaluates success of lessons, materials, and lessons, materials, and assignments? assignments? * Who monitors IEP and other record keeping other record keeping (i.e., report card) for students? (i.e., report card) for students?

Co-Teaching Pragmatics (continued) Co-Teaching Pragmatics (continued) Classroom and Behavior Management Classroom and Behavior Management * How and when will team members * How and when will team members communicate? communicate? * Who communicates with parents and * Who communicates with parents and administrators? administrators? * Who is responsible for support and * Who is responsible for support and supervision of classroom assistants? supervision of classroom assistants? * Who decides on disciplinary procedures? * Who decides on disciplinary procedures? * Who carries out disciplinary procedures? * Who carries out disciplinary procedures? * Will team members rotate responsibilities? * Will team members rotate responsibilities? If so, when and how? If so, when and how?

Working with a Specialist or Consultant 1. Do your homework 2. Demonstrate your concern with documentation concern with documentation 3. Participate actively 4. Carry out the consultant's suggestions carefully suggestions carefully and systematically and systematically 5. Contact the consultant if problems occur if problems occur

Establishing Positive Relationships with Students 1) Create open, professionally 1) Create open, professionally appropriate dialogue with appropriate dialogue with students students 2) Systematically build better 2) Systematically build better relationships relationships 3) Communicate high 3) Communicate high expectations expectations

Creating Opportunities for Discussions - Schedule regular individual - Schedule regular individual meeting times with students meeting times with students - Eat lunch with students - Eat lunch with students - Arrange interviews - Arrange interviews - Attend student - Attend student functions/activities functions/activities - Send notes to students - Send notes to students - Use a suggestion box - Use a suggestion box - Other ideas? - Other ideas?

We need to: 1) Collect data about how we 1) Collect data about how we interact with students in our interact with students in our classes classes 2) Analyze the data to see if we 2) Analyze the data to see if we are primarily supportive or are primarily supportive or critical critical 3) Determine whether we are 3) Determine whether we are responding differently (more responding differently (more or less) to some students or less) to some students 4) Attempt to alter our patterns of 4) Attempt to alter our patterns of interactions so that we interactions so that we communicate high expectations communicate high expectations for all for all

Professional Behaviors that Support Family Involvement  Accept families unconditionally  Develop collaborative relationships relationships  Listen empathetically  Share resources and information  Actively and reliably respond to families families  Highlight family expertise  Be available  Meet with families in friendly locations locations  Use personal stories for common ground ground

Gather General Information  Where were they born?  What are their thoughts about school? school?  What are the dreams and hopes for the child(ren) in hopes for the child(ren) in the family? the family?  What are the past school experiences of the child? experiences of the child?  Where do they live currently and with who? and with who?  What are the role expectations for family members? for family members?

Reflecting on Cultural Differences  What in the lives of these families is the most difficult to accept, the most difficult to accept, understand, and justify? understand, and justify?  What are the most important child- rearing values demonstrated by rearing values demonstrated by these families? these families?  What do you find in these values to be in conflict with your own values? be in conflict with your own values? What do you know about their What do you know about their culture's view on the meaning of culture's view on the meaning of disability? disability?

Working with Paraprofessionals o Make a place for them - desk, storage… o Explain your classroom rules/expectations, routines…confidentiality policies routines…confidentiality policies o Explain to children that they are to respect everyone everyone o Encourage paraprofessionals to support all students… students… o Provide clear directions, model and examples… o Establish a systematic way to communicate - weekly meetings, notebook… weekly meetings, notebook… o Resolve conflicts privately o Encourage input - but be mindful that you are the one accountable… the one accountable…

COLLABORATION commitment risks essential success Information for this presentation were found in the following resources: Bursuck, Friend, & Best (1999); Polloway & Patton (1999); Rusch & Chadsey (1998); Hobbs & Westling (1998 )