Bursts and bubbles 2020 in reflection.

 We are heading into a new era with a new build and new staffing structure. The school identified focus areas that they were keen on developing further.

We wanted to understand how collaboration can support and better our classroom practice. However early on with this inquiry we realised that we needed to deepen our knowledge of what collaboration is and how it looks in different settings. . 

To build a rich picture of our staff's  understanding we completed a survey with our colleagues and noticed that they too had varying ideas of collaboration. This became our starting point. 

The main patterns we  identified were barriers such as time, relationships our schools site locations and the unknown of working with another. .

When researching collaboration we were lead to other key vocabulary such as Collegiality, cooperation and co teaching styles. These were explained to us as a scale of intensity of how people communicate and work together. 

Collegiality:  respect to colleagues and interests in each others well being. 

Cooperation - This is when a person supports someone else in their work or goal.

Collaboration-   When we work together to achieve a common goal

We had a peer observations over the year that showed our strengths lie in effective use of space, worked well with TAs who had a strong understanding of the lesson and confidence to lead small groups. This was a key area of learning for us as we could then recognise the difference in terminology. As teacher’s we collaborate together for planning and activities and creating the children's learning goals. However with our teacher aids we cooperate as they support the children to achieve the goals and learning outcomes we have set. These are both crucial for positive learner outcomes. Our teacher aides are a significant resource in a our school and we need to ensure that their time and knowledge is used well.

Originally the co teaching models by Friend, Reisling and Cook (1993) were based off mainstream teacher + special ed teacher. We have analysed this model and noted that we have different student/staff ratio so we are able to be more creative and divide our learning into slightly different groups. We found a common style used was station teaching but when looking deeper, what does this mean to different people, who is static and who is moving? When observing Stonefields school we could see this in action with the use of an independent station encouraging peer collaboration. This made us reflect how can collaboration impact our learners and how can we encourage collaboration among learners?

The changes we made related specifically to time given to discussing with TAs the outcomes for the week and explaining individual's needs as well as beginning to incorporate activities that introduce the concept of collaboration between learners. To develop the skills on how to follow instructions and listen to our peers we have started using LEGO therapy as it fosters collaboration giving specific roles while  working together to complete the same LEGO kit. For our older learners we have started using google slides so the children can learn to collaborate through technology. They loves seeing each other icons on the screen. Through ENGAGE they are learning to tolerate others in their space, increase resilience and encourage positive waiting and turn taking. These are vital skills for our tamariki to develop, to benefit from collaborative teaching but also to increase their engagement in collaborative activities. 

Where to next: Linking with the schools new strategic goals,  we feel the need to create a common language amongst our school relating to collaboration and share ways of co teaching successfully. We want to open their eyes to the possibilities  that working collaboratively creates. Keeping in mind that a prime reason for creating a culture of collaborative practice is, to impact positively on student outcomes (DuFour and Mattos (2013).

Challenges in collaboration

 Expand on my knowledge of multidisciplinary team approaches by identifying key challenges in collaboration using a range of perspectives from my community of learning (COL).

Recently Sharon and I discussed the challenges of collaboration. Last year one of us was on leave for a term after an accident and this year the other had extended leave for family reasons. This made us think about how a team approach is affected when part of the team is not there, with limited time to prepare for their absence. This made us realise the need to reflect on other challenges within the day, week or programme that are a reflection of a group of people working together in collaboration of multidisciplinary approaches. 

I created a Jam board with my COL group to share 5 key ingredients to successful collaboration and then also for everyone to name a key challenge. In our school setting we also work as a multidisciplinary team with Occupational therapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Physiotherapists. I also made a Jamboard with the specialists we work with and completed the same exercise. There was a common theme among the message of challenges. 

For collaboration in the classroom to be successful there needs to be synergy, trust, communication and shared accountability. There is also a reliance on each other for support in planning, teaching, managing the classroom and family contact. When one part of the team is absent it can dramatically affect the flow and stress of the other. Even if there is someone covering that is familiar and knows the running of the class the remaining teacher still feels more responsible for the extended group and is required in more places at once that they would be otherwise.Successful collaboration should see increased independence in student learning and the staff members should be extensions of each other giving children the opportunity to learn in different settings maximising the space and adult ratio. When a staff member is away for extended periods of time the expectations of this may need to be altered to suit the new teacher and to suit how they work with the planning and the learners. There is extra time required for the teacher remaining to contact and be available for whānau communication of all learners. As like any new partnership in cooperative teaching there can also be differences in expectations when new members arrive and this can lead to a change in programme design. 

Working collaboratively with other teachers requires time to be reflective as a team. Benade, G.,(2017) states that collaboration “requires participants to meet regularly and to take the time to develop professional collective responsibility”. Time came up as a challenge across both Jam boards and through literature. A research article studying SCERTS as a multidisciplinary framework reported 50% of the people in the study found that collaboration takes time and demands a lot of energy (Paola Molteni, Karen Guldberg and Nick Logan, 2013). Time is needed to reflect on the issues involved in the teaching and learning and also time to discuss how the collaboration design is being implemented and how it worked in each session. Our specialist Jam board suggested that time is a challenge in both arranging times to meet with teachers and students and also time within the week for the programme they supply to be implemented. For implementation to be successful they reported that trust and rapport needs to be established and developed and this also is affected with lack of time. When there is trust and support, collaboration is more successful as the team begins to understand how each other works and can begin to compromise and acknowledge each other's ideas and valuing everyone's opinion. 

It is important to discuss the challenges of collaboration as it becomes more common practice among Modern Learning Environments. “Being aware of the possible difficulties of implementing multidisciplinary teamwork can strengthen not only the team of professionals,  but the management department, as it can support the planning of meetings and quality evaluations following the real educational needs of the child and of the team.” (Paola Molteni, Karen Guldberg and Nick Logan, 2013). Multidisciplinary interventions and support in my school setting in particular is vital for it allows for a wider focus with different expertise available. Working together we can address a range of teaching techniques, targeting different skills across different contexts. This is fundamental to creating an effective educational approach”(Paola Molteni, Karen Guldberg and Nick Logan, 2013).

Reference List:

Achinstein, B (2002). Conflict Amid Community: The Micropolitics of Teacher Collaboration. Teacher College Record Volume 104 Number 3.

Benade, G (2017) What is professional collaboration and how can its practice be enriched and led to support student learning within and across schools? Sabbatical Report. Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School, Flat Bush, Auckland.

Bradbeer. C, Martin S, (2016), Creating Collaborative Effectiveness One Schools Approach. Teachers as Communities of Learning Professionals, Set 2. 

Education Council New Zealand–Matatū Aotearoa. (2017). Our code our standards: Code of professional responsibility and standards for the teaching profession: Ngā tikanga matatika ngā paerewa: Ngā tikanga matatika mō te haepapa ngaiotanga me ngā paerewa mō te umanga whakaakoranga

Molteni. P, Guldberg. K and Logan.N (2013) Autism and multidisciplinary teamwork through

the SCERTS Model. British Journal of Special Education. NASEN DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12030

Introduction to 2020 Teaching as Inquiry - Collaboration

Hi, we are in our 3rd year of working together at the Sommerville Satellite at Stonefields School.

Stonefields school is purpose built for collaboration with open learning areas, different types of breakout spaces and different learning equipment, beanbags, stools, chairs, different shaped tables and computer areas.

For this to be a successful environment for teaching and learning to take place there needs to be a positive staff relationship with collaboration amoung staff, learners and whanāu. We feel we are working towards creating this successful space and hope to use this COL opportunity to trial different collaborative practice, learn from Stonefields, an exemplar collaborative school and share our new knowledge back with Sommerville School and other schools within the COL.

We also want to use this as an opportunity to see how group learning in collaborative spaces supports ākonga engagement specifically within our Hub. We will look at how we can ensure all learners are benefiting and learning with, from and about each other in different group activities.