Working together for success

1. Working togetherfor success Assoc Prof Barrie O’Connor 4030CLS – 4201EBL Lecture 3, Sem. 1, 2009

2. Overview • What is collaboration? • How used? • Benefits? • Empirical support… • Assignment 1A + others!

3. Collaboration? • Working together to maximise outcomes • “Two heads better than one” … 1+1 = 3

4. Key players? Students

5. Key players? Teachers Responsible for up to 59% of the variance in student learning outcomes (Alton-Lee, 2003, p. x) Teachers and students

6. Key players? Parents and carers

7. Other team members? • Class teachers  class teachers • Specialist staff • Special educators • Advisory visiting teachers AVTs • Learning assistance teachers… • Teacher aides / school officers • Auslan Language Models (ALM); Indigenous learning assistants • Library staff • Therapy staff • Speech language, OT, Physio • Office staff • School administration • Outside professionals (Health, Communities, Youth) • Milpera (newly arrived refugees) at Chelmer

8. Key Message #1 A word of encouragement is powerful.

9. A. We get along very well. We are both flexible and have developed similar expectations for students and similar classroom management styles. We feed off each others' comments and teaching styles. We switch which groups we work with so that we both get to perform a variety of roles with all our students. We work together, develop together, and bounce things off each other. Working as a team makes you feel good. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) B. I don't think I'd like to work in this type of program again. She felt like a visitor in my classroom, and we never connected personally. We struggled because of differences in roles, teaching and communication styles, and philosophy. The students also were confused. They felt that I was the teacher and she was my aide. I felt like she was always watching me and judging me. We didn't know how to do it and received little support from our principal. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) Two viewpoints

10. A. We get along very well. We are both flexible and have developed similar expectations for students and similar classroom management styles. We feed off each others' comments and teaching styles. We switch which groups we work with so that we both get to perform a variety of roles with all our students. We work together, develop together, and bounce things off each other. Working as a team makes you feel good. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) B. I don't think I'd like to work in this type of program again. She felt like a visitor in my classroom, and we never connected personally. We struggled because of differences in roles, teaching and communication styles, and philosophy. The students also were confused. They felt that I was the teacher and she was my aide. I felt like she was always watching me and judging me. We didn't know how to do it and received little support from our principal. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) Two viewpoints In pairs, 1. select one viewpoint each to read; 2. List the key characteristics of the relationship; 3. compare and contrast your findings

11. A. We get along very well. We are both flexible and have developed similar expectations for students and similar classroom management styles. We feed off each others' comments and teaching styles. We switch which groups we work with so that we both get to perform a variety of roles with all our students. We work together, develop together, and bounce things off each other. Working as a team makes you feel good. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) Characteristics? Two viewpoints

12. A. We get along very well. We are both flexible and have developed similar expectations for students and similar classroom management styles. We feed off each others' comments and teaching styles. We switch which groups we work with so that we both get to perform a variety of roles with all our students. We work together, develop together, and bounce things off each other. Working as a team makes you feel good. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) Characteristics? Compatible Shared expectations, goals Share teaching values and strategies Complementary efforts Flexible and variable roles and tasks with students Working and growing together Satisfaction Two viewpoints

13. Characteristics? B. I don't think I'd like to work in this type of program again. She felt like a visitor in my classroom, and we never connected personally. We struggled because of differences in roles, teaching and communication styles, and philosophy. The students also were confused. They felt that I was the teacher and she was my aide. I felt like she was always watching me and judging me. We didn't know how to do it and received little support from our principal. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) Two viewpoints

14. Characteristics? Dissatisfaction, retreat Social distance, disconnection, lack of trust? Major differences in ways of working and philosophy Students confused about role relationships and status differentials Defensiveness Principal disinterested, unsupportive B. I don't think I'd like to work in this type of program again. She felt like a visitor in my classroom, and we never connected personally. We struggled because of differences in roles, teaching and communication styles, and philosophy. The students also were confused. They felt that I was the teacher and she was my aide. I felt like she was always watching me and judging me. We didn't know how to do it and received little support from our principal. (Salend et al., 2002, p. 196) Two viewpoints

15. Collaboration At least two members….

16. Collaboration Parity in membership

17. Collaboration Voluntary engagement

18. Collaboration Shall we explore this together…? What do you think…? Sharing decisions

19. Collaboration • “a style for direct interaction between at least two coequal partiesvoluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal” (Friend & Cook, 1992, p. 5). • voluntary engagement in the activity • parity among members • Sharing decisions

20. Teacher responsibilities • “teachers need to demonstrate through their actions that collaboration is not about working with best friends or, necessarily, with like-minded people. Collaboration is about trust and respect. It's about working together to create better outcomes for all students. If teachers learn to like each other in the process, that is a bonus, but it is not a prerequisite. … in some schools, the professionals who collaborate are those who are most comfortable with each other; others are not part of the culture. • “Educators collaborate because doing so benefits students. They sometimes work together, even if they would not socialize and sometimes even if they have rather opposing views of teaching and learning. • “Collaboration is not a personal preference; it is a strategy to do what is best for students. • (Marilyn Friend on collaboration – interview with Brownell & Walther-Thomas, 2002, p. 226)

21. Key Message #2 We work to benefit student outcomes.

22. What we bring… • Interpersonal skills? • Self awareness (verbal and non-verbal behaviour) • Self disclosure  Openness Trust • Trusting and trustworthy • Sending effective messages; clarity • Harnessing thoughts and feelings - genuineness • Active listening • Challenging ideas – respectful confrontation • Focus on ways forward rather than the past … • Willingness to engage • Willingness to explore, problem-solve…

23. Self awareness

24. How well do I relate to others? Self awareness

25. How well do I relate to others? Self awareness How do others view me?

26. How well do I relate to others? What non-verbal cues do I give? Self awareness How do others view me?

27. How well do I relate to others? What non-verbal cues do I give? Self awareness How do others view me? Do I listen carefully before responding?

28. How well do I relate to others? What non-verbal cues do I give? Self awareness How do others view me? Do I listen carefully before responding? Am I quick to judge?

29. How well do I relate to others? What non-verbal cues do I give? Am I willing to keep learning about how I relate to others? Self awareness How do others view me? Do I listen carefully before responding? Am I quick to judge?

30. Self-disclosure

31. Self-disclosure Risking our “skin” to let others in to our thoughts and feelings

32. Self-disclosure I’m feeling anxious about this approach? Risking our “skin” to let others in to our thoughts and feelings I think we can make this work…

33. Self-disclosure

34. Self-disclosure Too defensive, we close up to others’ thoughts and ideas

35. Self-disclosure It won’t work; I don’t want any part of it. Go away… Too defensive, we close up to others’ thoughts and ideas I don’t know as much as she does; I’ll look stupid… Too risky for me!

36. Self-disclosure

37. Self-disclosure The parents are useless – don’t even bother. Mother’s crazy… Inappropriate disclosure leaves us vulnerable

38. Self-disclosure Too much disclosure leaves us vulnerable; perhaps fatally 

39. Self-disclosure The parents are useless – don’t even bother. Mother’s crazy… Inappropriate disclosure leaves us vulnerable No special cases in my room – I treat them all the same!

40. Stages of group development (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977) 1. Forming Getting started 2. Storming Uncertainty, discontent … 3. Norming Gaining focus, clarifying roles … 4. Performing Getting on with the task 5. Mourning Regrets leaving team at end

41. Emerging models of support 1950s • Class teachers – sole responsibility • Speech correctionists • Guidance officers 1960s • Remedial teachers – pull-out/withdrawal 1970s • Teacher librarians • Parent volunteers • Resource teachers – in-class support/consultants • Teacher aides • Advisory visiting teachers 1990s+ • Learning support / enhancement teachers …

42. Emerging models of support 2000s • Inclusive curriculum, educational adjustments • AVTs, behaviour support  coaching… • Co-teaching • Community of learners • Inside school • Engaging wider community - e.g. Rennie (2006), working in Indigenous communities – curriculum knowledge complemented by community knowledge)

43. An example of support David Wassink – Youth Summit Rep ABC Radio National - Life Matters http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2008/2216561.htm 15 April 2005 - 4 mins There were five subject areas: his was family and community. Now studying to be a primary school teacher, he was homeless for several years in his teens.

44. Principal – key leadership role • “One outstanding principal I know worked in a school in which teachers tended to stay in their classrooms, where small cliques existed but little collaboration occurred. He decided a change was in order, and he took specific steps to recreate the school culture. • He created lunch-hour study groups where teachers read about and debated various issues related to collaboration. He created working committees assigned to make important decisions concerning the school, and he taught committee members strategies for working effectively during meetings and for group problem solving. • He asked an external consultant to meet with staff to identify concerns and resolve them, including interpersonal issues. After 2 years, teachers and other professionals in the school worked closely together, and they saw collaboration as an essential element of all aspects of their jobs. This all happened because someone in the school set the standard and led staff to it; the someone who can do this is the principal.” (Marilyn Friend on collaboration – interview with Brownell & Walther-Thomas, 2002, p. 225)

45. Key Message #2 Engage in change processes to change student outcomes.

46. Evaluating collaborative teams • What roles do teachers perform? Are these roles meaningful? • How often and for how long are teachers interacting with each other? • Who is initiating and ending these interactions? What is the nature of these interactions (e.g., cooperative, reciprocal, supportive, complementary, individualistic)? • Which students are the recipients of these interactions? • What are the outcomes of these interactions for teachers and their students? • What factors appear to promote and limit these interactions? • Do the teachers have an equal-status relationship? • To what extent do teachers coordinate their roles and blend their skills? (Salend et al., 2005, p. 198)

47. Co-teaching models 1. Instructor + roving individual assist 2. Station teaching • content and space managed in classroom zones • students rotates to staff positions 3. Parallel teaching • joint planning / delivery to two heterogeneous groups 4. Alternative teaching • large group (main instruction) + small group (intensive instruction; small student : teacher ratio) 5. Team teaching • planning / instructional parity between teachers • alternate primary instructor role within individual lessons. (Based on Cook & Friend, as cited in Kloo & Zigmond, 2008, p. 15)

48. Co-teaching foci Kloo and Zigmond (2008) Three broad lesson configurations from co-teaching: • both teachers instructing a single group of students, • each teacher actively instructing his or her own group of students, • neither teacher involved in whole group instruction. In all cases, either special education teacher or general education teacher serves in role of first teacher or second teacher. • The advantage of alternative framework: • focuses on the number of instructional groups in a co-taught class; not on interactions between teachers • recognizes team teaching as just one of several configurations in which only one lesson is occurring, and not as the ideal model of co-teaching.

49. Enhancing learner engagement 1 Instructor + roving individual assist 2. Station teaching • content and space managed in classroom zones • students rotate to staff positions 3. Parallel teaching • joint planning / delivery to two heterogeneous groups 4. Alternative teaching • large group (main instruction) + small group (intensive instruction; small student : teacher ratio) 5. Team teaching • planning / instructional parity between teachers • alternate primary instructor role within individual lessons.

50. TEACH Co-teaching – increasing student opportunities to engage with learning • Target skills / strategies for student to learn. • Express enthusiasm and optimism. • Adapt instructional environment. • Create opportunities for small-group or individual, direct, intensive instruction. • Help student apply skills learned to content classes. Kloo and Zigmond (2008, p. 15)