Charmelle: Learning to Collaborate

As my summer vacation comes to a close, I anticipate returning to my classroom and my students for the upcoming school year. I have not just spent this time resting and relaxing, but reflecting. During my vacation, I examined some of the successes and challenges I faced through my first year as a special education teacher.

In my current position, I work as a resource teacher and support students with IEPs in the general education classrooms through co-teaching. The biggest challenge was collaboration with my colleagues in the general education classrooms. Of course, we could communicate with each other, but working together at times was difficult. It was hard for them to fully understand the benefit and purpose of my presence in the classroom, and I was often faced with the feeling that I was invading their territory or being viewed as an assistant, floating around the room to help out. Not, only was I the new teacher on the block, but now I wanted to be in their space and I was expected to teach with them.

The inclusive model is new to my current school, so all they have ever known is that students with disabilities were taught in resource rooms or self-contained settings. So this summer I spent a great amount of time reading and participating in professional development that focused around collaboration and co-teaching.  

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a two-day workshop with Dr. Marilyn Friend, CEC’s immediate past president, who has done a great amount of fieldwork in co-teaching and collaboration. Dr. Friend described collaboration as a “style” and the vehicle in which the work of co-teaching gets done. So far my vehicle of collaboration is in need of repair!

I wondered how I could go back and change the dynamic of these relationships with my colleagues and alter my perceived role as a special educator. Through the workshop and other trainings I have learned strategies to support my students in the general education classroom and how to implement different co-teaching models. What I’ve learned so far is that to establish a solid foundation through collaboration we must:   

• Establish communication and define roles.
• Understand that collaboration is voluntary and is not just proximity with your colleagues.
• Establish parity in the relationship so that it is balanced.
• Have a mutual goal or problem that drives the collaboration.
• Be willing to share responsibility in order to drive decisions.
• Share in the accountability of the decisions that are made.
• Be open to sharing your resources with one another.

Speaking now to any veteran teachers who might be reading, do you have any tips to share?  I look forward to implementing the different models of co-teaching in the classroom and will be sure to share my experiences here. Wish me luck! 

Comments

[Yolanda]

As a new incoming Special Education teacher, I applaud you on your first year efforts of collaboration. I LOVE the idea of inclusion. I understand that all students would not benefit from inclusion due to certain levels of disabilities but I think that having some exposure to it would be helpful for all. Our communities consists of a variety of cultures and we all have to learn to adapt to everyone and accept their differences; therefore, I feel that it is important for students to learn how to understand and respect each others' differences.

My second comment is regarding you willingness to improve your communication effectively by attending professional developments....better yet during the summer! That is awesome and I hope that you continue to work on you so that you would continue to be empowered in trying to make changes in the special education community.

[Brittany]

I was new to co-teaching a few years ago. I found it to be easier when the teachers have a great respect for one another. I believe it is difficult for the general education teacher to have someone new in their space and a challenge for us as special eduction teacher to go in without a great amount of communication. Planning together will make this easier. Good Luck!

[Heather]

Hi Charmelle! Thank you for sharing your tips to improving collaboration in co-taught settings. I feel like co-teaching is an excellent tool when used properly. I am a general educator who has been co-teaching for several years. Although my overall experience with co-teaching has been mostly positive, I still have concerns about the level of collaboration that exists between my co-teacher and myself. I welcome collaboration with my co-teacher however good collaboration is not always taking place because my co-teacher will not make the time for collaboration. She always finds something else to do during our prep period and often leaves me to do all the planning and modifying. Not only do I feel taken advantage of but I am also disappointed in her lack of concern for the special education students in our class. Your tips are simple and easy to follow and will give me a starting point to help implement some changes in my own co-teaching practices so that better collaboration can be established.

[Danielle D]

Co-teaching can be very awkward at first. Clear goals and definding roles are big keys. Co-teaching starts as any new relationship- you get to know each other.Developing good communication can take some time but will be well worth it. We learn so much from each other. I cannot believe how much I learned that I carry with me even though I am no longer in the co-teaching role. Your positive attitude and taking the time to reflect are the best steps you can take. Please let us know how everything is going!

[Struggling]

I was in a training for co-teaching earlier this year. I am new to actually co-teaching with someone. My co-teacher has been co-teaching in other rooms for the past 4 or so years. I am having some trouble with my co-teaching model in my room. Time has been set aside during common planning time for us to plan and my co-hort never comes. They make no effort to teach any parts of lessons. They come late, leave early and leave during class time. I get grief for trying to get any help with grading. Out of the four classes for the day I "co-teach" for three of them. I get a lot of back lash any time I have tried to address any of this with my co-teacher. I am just very frustrated with the entire situation and do not know where to go from here. This isn't good for me and I know it can't be good for the students. Any suggestions are welcome!

[Andrea]

I am now embarking on becoming a more effective teacher leader. Last school year I took on the role of grade leader, something that I shy away from for several years. This has help me to form a bond with the teachers on my grade level and the other grade level leaders. What I found out that having a mutual goal or problem will drives collaboration. I am also very open in sharing my resources with other teachers regardless of the grade. Now as the special education teacher and my contribution last year, I have change the dynamic of the relationship I have with most of the teachers in my school. I know it is not much but it is a start to collaboration.

[Tonya]

Charmelle,
Thanks for posting on this topic. Our School has adopted a co-teaching model. I will fully admit it was a "forced-march" for me. As a special education (resource) teacher, I was not prepared to be in class of 30+ 10th graders. Additionally, I was placed in a US history class, content knowledge I did not have! I thought for sure these people are crazy.... thinking I can be of any good in this setting. However, I found I had a "vision" the gen ed teacher did not have and I could see different ways to do the things he was doing. Then I realized and appreciated my purpose. After some time of collaboration and meetings, it worked out for the benefit of the students.
I found it difficult to ever get over the anxiety of being in that classroom though!

[Charmelle]

Hi Dr. Friend, Thank you so much for responding to my post. It was an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the workshop. I will continue to take your sound advice that you have left me in your comment and I will be glad to share with you later in the year how things have went. Thank you again for your well wishes. :)

[Marilyn Friend]

Hi, Everyone! Charmelle, thanks for the call out and for attending the professional development. I'm so very impressed with the information that you took from the session. I worry a lot about new teachers establishing strong positive relationships with their general education colleagues for co-teaching. Unless an administrator arranges for shared PD before the school year begins (or is otherwise actively helping to make sure of expectations for all), you're left on your own to "test the relationship waters" with your colleagues. My advice? Take it slowly, but keep it moving. If your colleagues are reluctant to have a classroom partner, suggest specific roles you could take (e.g., while you present the new material, I'll draw a concept map of it on the whiteboard; with so much vocabulary, let's divide the students into two groups--I'll work with half on vocab while you get the other half started on their research projects and then we can switch groups). Hopefully your colleague will be enthusiastic about the possibilities you're offering.

Have a great school year, Charmelle and Everyone.

[Kaylie]

I was so excited when I read this post, Charmelle! Inclusion for students in resource was just implemented in my school system this year, and it was definitely an answered prayer for me. I cannot wait to see how the kids will grow and the schools develop as a whole. However, I have concerns regarding the things you described about collaboration between general and special educators. Although I'm not a resource teacher, I would love to be able to pass on some good info to the ones in my school. If you have any other helpful resources or materials, please let me know. Awesome post!

[Charmelle]

Hi,
Thanks everyone for the responses and wonderful suggestions. Danielle, I agree that defining the roles are important. And yes, I have actually made the suggestion to both my principal and special education coordinator about having the opportunity to share with staff about co-teaching and my role. They agreed it would be a good idea. Wish me luck. I have to share how it goes.

[Lohren nzooma]

Charmelle,

I can whole-heartedly agree with your thoughts on co-teaching. I have been with the school I'm at for a few years and everyone knows me but I still get the same energy from the gen ed teachers that you described, like I'm invading their territory. They are a little more willing but I'm coming to the understanding that they may not fully understand how my presence can benefit them and the student in the classroom.

With that understanding in mind, I've requested some PD time when we return for staff training. I'm able to do a presentation on my role and how we can better work together for student success. Perhaps you or a supervisor can request the same. This may help.

[Danielle]

The defining roles part is definitely key. I co-taught with someone last year, and it was awkward at first, because I had taught the course for several years on my own, and the new person sort of felt like an appendage, even though they were one of my good friends!!

About 3 weeks in to the class, we sat down after school and just started shouting, then laughing. We defined our roles, and everything got so much better.