Positives Aspects of Collaboration and Co-teaching

1. Positives Aspects of Collaboration and Co-teaching By: Group 3 Brittany Hall Andrew Howe Maria Medranda Manuel Pedroza

2. Collaboration and Co-teach Collaboration and Co-teaching stem from the same root principles. Both begin with more than just the “self”. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, collaboration is “the situation of two or more peopleworking together to create or achieve the same thing”. In a school, teachers are constantly collaborating with students, parents, and colleagues to create positive and safe learning environments. In addition to collaborating on teacher-student, parent or colleague relationship, teachers in the classroom allow for students to collaborate with each other. In addition to collaboration, another concept of working together to “produce or create something” (Merriam-Webster) is when teachers co-teach. Co-teach is the concept of teachers working to produce different styles of teaching for all learning levels so that students may prosper.

3. Collaboration Among Students How & Why • Students work together to solve, create or question a task • Requires communication and teamwork • Sharing knowledge to reach a the group’s goal Positives • Helps introverted students get comfortable working with others • Encourages working together and planning • Allows for peer-to-peer interaction • Prepares students for today’s workforce • Improves social skills • Motivates Students • Higher achievement is linked to collaboration • Increase in self-esteem

4. Student Collaboration in the Classroom Teach students to be part of a team Create engaging activities Create smaller groups to keep everyone engaged Build opportunities for discussion Focus on strengthening relationships among students Explain what, why, how to collaborate

5. Collaboration Among Colleagues In order for teachers to grow professionally there has to be collaboration with colleagues, especially for beginning teachers. Teachers are able to collaborate in different ways. One way is to have lesson planning time with teachers of the same subject. By teachers doing this, new ideas can be introduced or learned from each other. Students benefit by teachers working together in lesson planning. Another way to collaborate with colleagues is in sharing techniques for problem solving. One teacher may have had troubleshooting experience with classroom management that may be able to share advice. Finally, not only can teachers work together to positively impact student learning, but also to grow professionally. A great way for a beginning teacher to develop professionally is by acquiring a mentor. According to Heather Wolpert-Gawron mentors are “practitioners who pass on their knowledge through informal conversation and everyday modeling. They push back and disagree with you. They help you develop your educational voice. They help hone your academic blade”.

6. Collaboration Amongst Teacher and Parent Link with student achievement goals and school standards Involve families in activities that focus on issues related to student learning Use multiple ways of communication strategies to keep family members informed on what is happening in the class- room and how they can contribute to student learning Build a school culture that is inclusive and supportive of family and community involvement Teach parents different activities using role-playing about or demonstrations of how to work with their child at home to reinforce classroom learning Share key tools, rubrics, grading criteria, or strategies to help family members learn how to determine if a child is successful in learning the content or complete a homework or study assignment. Engage family members and students in math and reading games at family nights where they can learn from one another. Let students bring home activities and ideas that help promote student learning Inform family members on standards in exhibits and other means

7. Examples of Teacher/Parent Involvement Keep Parents Involved Create Real Life Scenarios to Curriculum Provide Families with Resources Create Engaging Activities Between Student and Parent Communicate With Parents Set Up Meetings with Parents

8. FOCUS: Co-Teaching “Inspire, don’t require” To begin: Effective Communication is key for both co-teachers and students SOme tips for effective communication are: • Attentive Listening - Being an active listener to all, will develop trustworthy relationships, ideal for giving and receiving constructive feedback • Empathy and understanding- Developing solid relationships by getting to know each other and harnessing strengths (and weaknesses) to bridge together each students unique traits • Unity of purpose: Developing guidelines and expectations for collaboration and co-teaching amongst all participants will establish clear goals for individual and group success • Credibility- This begins when teachers and students follow through with their stated words and intentions that address the needs of the group • Willingness to consider new ideas- This may be most challenging; this requires teachers and students to step out of their comfort zone and consider thoughts, ideas, and potential changes for group success (Conyers, 2016, p. 59).

9. Increasing effective learning outcomes Co-teaching To Begin: Teachers must absorb dual roles such as : General Educator and Special Educator Benefits: Increase in learning options, grouping of students, decrease student stigma, reduction in class size, advanced instructional techniques -This is an example of a Co-teaching set-up -Positions are INTERCHANGEABLE -Collaboration is Key! Special Educator • Focus on student w/ IEP’s • Focus on student behavior • Provide motivational assistance to students General Educator • Collects learning materials and curriculum • Develops learning outcomes and assessments Purpose: Co-teacher’s learn to develop dual roles such as General and Special Educator to effectively instruct students. General Educators focus on the larger concepts of curriculum while addressing the outcomes of entire class. Special Educators scan the classroom for student questions, concerns, and behavior. They interdict on various issues within the classroom and address particular concepts of curriculum with individualgoals in mind

10. Recommendations for Collaboration and Co-Teaching Collaboration is an inherently complex thing to pull off, especially in a classroom setting. The following recommendations are useful for anybody looking to collaborate or co-teach: • Meet with your partner(s) often, and bring your experiences and ideas with you. Communication is key to any sort of collaborative work, and this no different. Co-teachers will often meet before and after class to reconnect and discuss what worked and what didn’t. • Just because you are working together doesn’t mean that you have to mirror each other! Collaboration is powerful because it brings together different mindsets, different goals, and different personalities. If you are co-teaching, work on your lesson together, but allow yourself to change it as you need and to teach in your own style, not just the style of your partner. • Be open and honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Your colleagues are there to help shore up your weaknesses and you’re there to help shore up theirs. Try making a list together of each teacher’s strengths and weaknesses and see if there’s any places where you easily overlap. • Take every opportunity to assess and grow. One of the amazing things about working with other teachers is the fact that you have more than one person’s experiences in the classroom to help you grow and improve as an instructor.

11. Increasing effective learning outcomes (Cont.) Round-Table Discussion Method #1 -Charts the interaction of all students to track participation and gauge understanding of content material with an emphasis on critical thinking Cherice Dante Sarah Matt Jesus Victoria Luis Monique Charles Vicki “The Scribe” (Edutopia, 2012).

12. REsults from Method #1 • In the previous slide, one can see the participation of all learners in the round table discussion Active • Matt • Vicki • Monique • Dante Least Active • Jesus • Victoria MOst Active • Luis • Cherice • Charles • Sarah ***From here, the students or teacher can adjust participation by either drawing further into a topic with the least active providing feedback for continued discussion, or by redirecting the conversation to a workable question/concept for all. *** The idea is to bring out the most thoughtful feedback for critical analysis!!

13. Collaboration Opportunities • Informal discussions • More fluid; relaxed atmosphere; can be more frequent; draws hasty but valuable feedback through dialogue exchange • Supportive Interaction • Focus on nurtured learning and development through positive speech and feedback; conducted with students in particular • Shared Planning Sessions • Dual exercise of roles from planning to implementation of lesson plan; multiple variations on emphasis and methods towards student success • Active Participation in Formal Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) • PLCs engage teachers in professional development focused on “collective inquiry” and are “empowered to apply” the finding with workable methods for success *** Assessing results facilitates both professional growth and student growth!! (Conyers, 2016, p. 14, 53)

14. Growing up I was involved in collaborating with my classmates through group work and projects. Collaborations in the classroom is a lot easier than working on extensive group projects. However, group projects taught me to be able to voice my opinions with strong-minded peers as well as time management. As I grew up, collaboration has been ever-present in all aspects of my life. From collaborating with my husband on family life to working with people in my job. Due to having more positive than negative experiences with collaborating, I welcome collaboration with my peers. I learn a lot from asking and interacting with my peers in positive ways. In return, I am able to give students a better developed teacher. I believe students have a lot to gain from collaboration. Not only does collaborating involve teamwork and interpersonal skills, but it helps students to learn from each other. In a world that has become more interactive through faceless/voiceless contact, students need to be able to have experiences where they can connect socially without the use of faceless technology. Collaboration forces students that otherwise wouldn’t have social human connections to interact. Maria Patricia’s thoughts on collaboration

15. Brittany’s Opinion on Collaboration I personally think collaboration is a useful way of being social and hearing other perspectives/ ideas. When collaborating with students, teachers, parents you get a different understanding and a better idea of a topic. I think when collaborating with a open- minded person is positive way to gain teamwork skills. We are always going to have to interact with one other either at work, school, or to resolve any type of conflict. Collaborating is a successful way to prepare students for the future.

16. Andrew’s Opinions on Collaboration Collaboration has the potential to dramatically increase the abilities of any given teacher. There is dramatically more space for self assessment and improvement, new ideas get thrown around and given the chance for experimentation and risk, and the different weaknesses and strengths of everybody involved can improve the entire group as a whole. Even though collaboration has a large number of positives, however, it also comes with a series of potential negatives. Personalities can clash, schedules and work speeds can cause dramatic issues with getting things finished in time, and any lack in communication between individuals can cause problems to spiral out of control when they show up. Any sort of collaboration must seek to acknowledge and rectify these potential issues if it is going to be successful.

17. Key Aspects • Communication • Respect • Problem Solving • Constructive Feedback • Discussion/Inquiry • Build on strengths; compliment on weakness Manuel’s Understanding of Collaboration Throughout my educational experience, I have been accustomed to collaboration coming in the form of school projects. But through better understanding, collaboration can be a power tool to incorporate collective inquiry for the benefit of all. It can uplift the student what may feel insecure. It can put ideas into motion that can lead to positive inquiry. It can develop more advanced students capable of leading small groups. In today’s competitive world, those who collaborate value the learning experience with an intent for real world application. They are able to problem solve and compromise. They develop meaningful relationships based on strengths (and weaknesses) that compliment each students desire to learn. **I have learned through this collaborative experience to invite the constructive dialogue needed for accomplishing a common goal necessary for success in a positive learning environment. In a very Socratic manner, what we learn about others we in turn learn about ourselves and vice a versa. This is the heart of collaboration and its positive effects.

18. References Algebra Team: Teacher Collaboration. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/algebra-team-teacher-collaboration Bush, G. (2002). School buddy system: The practice of collaboration [.PDF]. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucr/detail.action?docID=3001581 Conyers, M. (2016). Smarter teacher leadership: Neuroscience and the power of purposeful collaboration. New York City, NY: Teachers College Press. COLLABORATION | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2019, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/collaboration Davis, M. (2012, December 05). How Collaborative Learning Leads to Student Success. Retrieved March 23, 2019, from https://www.edutopia.org/stw-collaborative-learning-college-prep Edutopia. (2012, December 05). Collaborative Learning Builds Deeper Understanding. Retrieved March 23, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWEwv_qobpU K, S. B. (2013, November 15). Great Ideas to Promote Collaboration among Students. Retrieved March 23, 2019, from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/766-great-ideas-to-promote-collaboration-among-students Marston, N. (2019). 6 Steps to Successful Co-Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/tools/6-steps-to-successful-co-teaching.htmlLearning Outside of the School Classroom: What Teachers Can Do to Involve Family in Supporting Classroom Instruction

19. References (cont.) Maryland Learning Link Info (Producer). (2011, September 21). Co-teaching part 1 [Show #1]. "How to" of co-teaching. Podcast retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLvvLc_kZys Maryland Learning Link Info (Producer). (2011, September 11). Co-teaching part 2 [Show #2]. "How to" of co-teaching. Podcast retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUolkA4U4Ko The Room 241 Team. (2013, January 09). Five Tips to Encourage Student Collaboration. Retrieved March 23, 2019, from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-tips-to-help-encourage-student-collaboration/ What is Collaborative Teaching? – Top Education Degrees. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.topeducationdegrees.org/faq/what-is-collaborative-teaching/ Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2018, March 27). Every Teacher Needs a Mentor. Retrieved March 23, 2019, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/every-teacher-needs-mentor