"Building Partnerships Through Collaboration"

Building Partnerships through Collaboration

Collaboration: A style professionals choose to accomplish a goal they share. How people work together, not what they do.

Characteristics

• Voluntary
• Based on parity
• Shared goal
• Shared responsibility for decisions
• Shared accountability for outcomes
• Based on shared resources
• Is emergent
• Certain prerequisites

Efforts needed for Successful Collaboration

Understanding prerequisites

Reflecting personal belief systems

Refining interaction skills

Contributing to supportive environment

Co- Teaching: Occurs when two or more teachers… One general ed teacher and one or more specialists-share the instruction for a single group of students in a single classroom.

Six Types of Co-Teaching

One teach, one observe

Station teaching

Parallel teaching

Alternative teaching

Teaming

One Teach, One Assist

Co-Teaching Pragmatics

Students with and without disabilities are integrated

Both teachers have teaching and supportive roles

Best approach depends on needs, subject, experience, and setting

Curriculum also dictates approach

Consultation: Specialized problem solving process involving assistance. One professional with particular expertise assists another professional who needs that expertise.

Working and Collaborating with paraprofessionals

Help with record keeping and instruction preparation

Take direction from a teacher who has taught the information or has decided what work needs to be done.

Never engage in initial teaching

Never make instructional decisions alone

Always know expectations

Need communication and feedback

Collaborating:

Participate in problem solving

Can decide on how to adapt information each student

Help plan activities and field trips

Should take direction from teachers

Should understand expectations

Complexity of Collaborating with paraprofessionals

• Lacking knowledge of curriculum
• Violating confidentiality
• Disrupting classroom

Being overprotective