Why is collaboration so important?
Collaboration is essential in all
aspects of education. As a teacher, I will collaborate with students, parents,
administrators, and other teachers very often in order to be the most effective
teacher I can be. Collaboration is important so that each child is challenged
to their full potential but also helped in areas where they need extra assistance.
As a teacher, I need to be aware of how each of my students struggle so that I
can accommodate them to the best of my ability. Children learn in different
ways so I will have to be an excellent observer so that I know how to
differentiate between levels of learning and the types of teaching strategies
to use. Sometimes grouping students into their levels of knowledge and learning
might help me differentiate instruction so that each student is more successful
in the learning process. It’s also important to be aware of how students
struggle in elementary school in order to discover disabilities in a timely
manner.
Teachers today are in so many
groups that meet weekly or biweekly that they’re nearly professional
collaborators. There are PLC (Professional Learning Community) meetings, RTI (Response
to Intervention) teams, Positive Behavior Support Teams, grade-level planning
meetings, and many other teams teachers are members of. Each of these teams
collaborates every time they meet. In The
Fundamentals of Collaboration, Friend and Cook explain that individuals who
collaborate, not only share resources and accountability for outcomes, but they
also trust one another and a powerful sense of community often evolves (2010). It’s
helpful to get advice from previous teachers about special education students.
Co-teaching is another example of collaboration in the classroom which
increases success of student learning by splitting a class up into groups to be
taught a different concept/subject or the same concept simply in a different
way. There must be communication across the content areas in order to relate
what students are learning in physical education and art to what they’re
learning in science and reading. This sort of collaboration helps students to
really understand concepts and see them in concrete examples in many aspects of
the world they live in. It also creates a sense of community, trust, and
respect among the teachers and other professionals working together.
Parent-teacher
collaboration is possibly the most important in elementary education. Cook’s
research on parent-teacher collaboration shows that “parental involvement in
children’s education….has been associated with improved student outcomes”
(2012). As a teacher, it’s critical that I take into account how I can keep
parents informed, encouraging, and supportive of their students in order to see
the greatest success in children. Often times, a student models an adult he or
she respects most; in some cases, this is a parent. Therefore, it is essential
that parents are up-to-date on any struggles a student has, the options on how
to best help a student with disabilities, and of course, should know all about
what the student is excelling in. Parents and teachers together engage in the
success of students through things like developing an IEP (Individualized education
program) for students with disabilities and parent-teacher conferences. This
collaboration allows for communication between parent, child, and teacher while
helping to create a trusting relationship where they can all work together
towards a common goal.
Collaboration
is used in various ways in the education system. It often strengthens
relationships, builds trust and resources, and allows people to help one
another work toward a shared goal. Collaboration is constantly in use in the
classroom, whether between students, teachers, professionals, specialists, or
combinations of the four. Regardless of the circumstances, collaboration is a
vital tool in education and being an effective teacher.
References
Cook,
B. (2012). Facilitating the effective
implementation of evidence-based practices through teacher-parent collaboration.
Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(3), 22-30. Retrieved from https://libproxy.highpoint.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=trh&AN=69989327&site=ehost-live
Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2010). Interactions: Collaboration skills
for school professionals. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.
