Theresa: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Disclaimer: I am not a super hero, nor do I claim to have super-human powers.

Collaboration. (sigh) It seems every time I turn around someone is talking about it. I almost feel like I need to put a dollar in a “swear jar” whenever I hear the word “collaboration.”

I understand that collaboration is a necessary part of my job in order for my students to succeed. However, I feel like the expectations placed on me in this area are unobtainable. As much as I would like to be in more than one place at a time, it is just not possible (hence the need for super-human powers—and maybe Richard’s cape).

This year, I am expected to meet with each teacher while they plan their lessons and assist in the process while providing accommodations and modifications for the students who have IEPs. My school is rather unique in how we do lesson plans; they are done as a grade level. For example, one teacher will submit the language arts lesson plans, while another submits the social studies lesson plans. This is done to ensure that teachers are collaborating and that the classes in the grade level all stay on a similar pace.

I do not have enough planning time in my schedule to meet with each teacher in my grade level to discuss accommodations and modifications on their lesson plans. I feel so overwhelmed just trying to check in with the teachers and provide meaningful accommodations for my students.

In addition to collaborating with my grade-level team, I am now a member of my school’s Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). I am truly honored to be a part of the ILT, and it is yet another example of teachers getting together with the administration to collaborate. We have been collaborating on a theory of action for our school, outlining a data-driven path that our teachers can follow to increase our students’ comprehension.

However, can too much collaboration turn into a bad thing? This past week I have had meetings from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., then another meeting from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m.—next thing I know we are picking up my students and beginning instruction at 9:07 a.m.

In Allisence’s most recent post, she talks about finding balance between professional life and personal life. I am struggling to find a balance between collaborating with my colleagues and planning for my own classroom and students. Is there a way to find a middle ground?

I feel so overwhelmed right now trying to make sure I collaborate with everyone that I need to. While I am so excited that teamwork is such a part of my school’s culture, I fear I am spreading myself too thin and not doing an effective job.

What have you done or seen teachers do to effectively collaborate with colleagues?

Comments

[Melissa]

It is interesting that you have too much collaboration going on. I am a new teacher that came in the middle of the year and am taking a calss on collaboration, so I want to utilize the knowledge I have learned. However, my teachers do not collaborate. WHen we have our meetings it is simislar to your lesson plans. One person will do the homework set and warm-up set for the next week and then we look at the pacing guide to see if we are on pace. That's pretty much it. all of this could be done in an email! It is frustrating because it is in my nature to slow skills and concepts down and when I see a student with or without an IEP struggle my first instinct is to waive the red flag and stop. However, our classes do not allow for that and we have to move on. This is where the lack of collaboration effect us because we do not utilize other strategies out there. I know that I am coming in on the middle of the year and my teachers are seasoned teachers who are great, but set in their ways. Any suggestions on How to get them to really collaborate.

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[Alyse]

I agree that collaborating is a great thing but it can be very time consuming. If your school expects you to meet with every teacher then they should have enough time for you to meet with them. I am student teaching right now and I go with two boys to the science classroom. If I didn't go to that class with them the paraprofessional would be the only person in there with them. I am not exactly sure how/if the science teacher and sped teacher collaborate when I'm not there. The science teacher was listening to all of my suggestions on accommodating and modifying tests and assignments. I don't think that the teacher would have the time to meet with the science teacher all the time and decide what would be best for the students.

[Muriel Rand]

You are definitely being asked to do too much! As others have mentioned, I think technology might be the only answer right now. I was also thinking that you might want to bring this dilemma to your principal. Since your school seems to value collaboration, it would be helpful to get the ear of the administrator. By asking for a suggestion from him or her, you are not seen as complaining, and yet the situation might be better understood. Of course, it all depends on the attitude of the administrator... I wish you all the best with this - and wish I had a magic cape for you!!

[Megan]

I feel that way every day.. I work in a non public school and wish I had my support..

[Maria Pappas]

Theresa, you said everything I want to say to my administration. I also feel like their demands are sometimes too much. I think they forget what it was like to be in the classroom and think we have absolutely no life outside of our job. I do think collaboration is very important and believe that time should be provided to us to be able to do this. I also think staff meetings should be spent on collaborating rather then on repeating the samethings every month. collaboration can also be done through co-teaching which is something new I have been looking at and reasearching. Overstretching a teacher leads to burnouts and that is never a good thing. there needs to be better support for our teachers.

[robin smith]

You are right collaboration is a tough thing to tackle and find balance. I have found that I spend alot of time at the begining of the year and each grading period with the general education teachers working on collaboration and then we touch base through email on as "as needed" basis. It sounds like your school has a great system on lesson plans. Good luck in finding balance....and if you find the super hero cape....send on my way.

[Chris]

Collaboration is the word of the semester in my Master's class. I have been reading about collaboration and also discussing collaboration with some of my general education colleagues and some of me fellow classmates in class. There seems to be some common themes to what everybody feels will make for successful collaboration among special and general educators-common planning time or just time to get together. Although this seems easy there are barriers preventing this from occurring, which is unfortunate because ultimately it is affecting the students. In times with email it seems some teachers have resorted to emailing assignments and getting them modified that way. I asked a teacher about this and he felt doing it this way losses the communication aspect of what the teacher may be assessing for the assignment, as the teacher ultimately knows what he or she wants the student to learn. Although I am not opposed to this because it prevents a teacher from handing it to you first thing in the morning and wanting it for second hour. What I see as a major problem with taking time during each teachers planning time is that this is time that I am not in the classroom providing direct services to the students that may need the service. The general education teacher have stated that them doing the modifications makes sense, but there are some cases that the work may need to be modified even more and that is what the special educators would help with. I have often joked with other special education teachers that if we were given roller skates we could possibly cut down our time sliding into each classroom trying to stay up on the work we need to modify!!

[Tara]

It is so interesting you bring that up. In my master's class, I have been reading about a lot of teachers who need more collaboration time. I think we all just need our collaboration time to be productive. There needs to be a decision jointly agreed by the staff, that time should be spent in the most useful ways to benefit student progress. If too much time is being spent creating accommodations and modifications in each lesson plan by you,the special education teacher, perhaps we look at ways to reduce that-by team-teaching, inclusion classroom (for some), having the regular education teacher write in their thoughts of modifications etc. There needs to be productive ways to use our time for the benefit of the students. Collaboration is much needed, don't get me wrong, but there's a balance between collaborating and using those ideas into everyday practice.

[Theresa]

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions! (Richard I might take you up on borrowing your cape.) What I've been trying the last couple weeks is just collaborating with one teacher, and then sharing the accommodations with the other teachers. It seems to be working so far, keep your fingers crossed for me!

[Kayla]

If you have other special education teachers, it would be wonderful for them to share the load and split up the work with you. However, if there isn't, here is an idea. Our society is very much so centered around technology. Could the grade level teachers e mail their lessons plan to you, after they have tried to write some accommodations and modifications themselves? That way, you can read the lessons with accommodations and modifications more on your own time, rather than only during times when you could both meet. Also, if they are thinking of modifications and modifications for their own lessons, then you dont have to put so much time into it. Obviously, some teachers may struggle and you may need to make recommendations and give them some accommodations as well. But, over time, they should get better at coming up with the accommodations/modifications on their own so that they only need to come to you for unique cases. If you spread yourself too thin, your instruction time with your students is going to be less effective. It is definitely a struggle for me and my cooperating teacher at my student teaching placement because our teachers tend to not send our students on time, so we waste our time finding them and they get to our room five minutes late. When you see a student for a half hour, five minutes late every day is stressful and not effective. I really think having that email communication will allow you and the teachers you are working with to respond when you each have time. That way they only need to have a sit down meeting with you for more unique situations where they need to come up with greater accommodations/modifications than they are used to. But, I do understand that everyone feels like they do not have time. Our days as special education teachers are hectic!

[How to Relieve Stress]

Your feeling overwhelmed can be a tremendous source of stress in your life. Feeling pulled in so many directions can be difficult to handle so take it one day at a time and do your best. That's all that can be expected of you.

I have the greatest amount of respect for teachers and feel that they are grossly underpaid.(Although not sure how to fix this). You guys are truly amazing. Keep up the good work.

[Alyssa]

I wish you all the luck in finding this balance. It sounds as though you are never getting time to breathe and relax before each hectic day begins! You need to take care of yourself first and foremost. Prioritize your tasks and deal with them one at a time. You cannot be a superhero, and you cannot be afraid to tell people that. There are a lot of expectations put down on all teachers, and so each of us need to be accepting of that. I hope your collaborating teachers don't jump down your throat too often for things, and are accepting of your position. You need eachother to help teach to the whole student, and so you never want a sense of tension. Work as hard as you can, but don't stretch yourself too thin, because it could have longer lasting effects on your sanity and even health! Remember that communication is key, even if it is a simple email or quick phone call! Keep your head up!

[Richard]

I will let you borrow my cape any time! I can overnight it UPS! :-) I have resigned to doing all the planning myself and communicating with most via e-mail in order to preserve my sanity. I did have to get my principles's OK, but she understood. My school does a similar method for plans, they have arranged it so that each subject meets at a different day. I would recommend that, and if that won't work, get to the ones you can, and the rest either have them e-mail you the plans and you add the accommodations later, or have them at least let you know what standards they plan to teach the next week so you can send a list of possible accommodations and let them work them into the lesson in your absence.

[Ashley]

You are being stretched too thin! Are there other special educators in the building that can help take a load off your shoulders? - In my building where I am placed for student teaching, there are 3 special ed teachers, 1 school psychologist, and 2 speech/language pathologists (our resource team). In a meeting last week, we decided to designate 1 member of our resource team to each grade level, K-5. This way, the collaborative meetings are cut significantly. The resource member will attend the "data" day for the collaboration meetings (once a month) to see if things have been going well or if another intervention needs to be planned for students in special education, or for students who do not qualify but need help. For the other meetings, the resource teacher will be given the meeting minutes (to keep up to date) and if the teachers have any questions, they can email my cooperating teacher. This gives my teacher her time to plan for her own students.

Hopefully you have other special education team members to help you with all of your responsibility. If not, I would maybe try email with the meeting minutes and questions for some of the collaboration meetings. This may help with the being in two places at once and give you some time back to plan for your own class.

Good luck!