Running head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Megan Johnson

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2018

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 2

Introduction

“It takes a village to raise a child,” the African proverb states. Most people can relate

with this proverb as they look back on their own lives and see the enormous group of people that

have gotten them where they are today. While young students might not recognize this until they

are adults themselves, teachers have the opportunity to have a positive impact on this truth.

Teachers and families are the keystone influencers in a student’s environment and growth.

However, if teachers and families fail to work together, the students will feel those effects. The

collaboration and communication between these two parties is included in this competency.

Specifically, communication sent home through a letter and collaboration accomplished through

a photograph.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact is a letter sent home to the parents thanking them for their support. As a

student teacher, it is an honor to be able to have experiences in a classroom, with real, learning

children, while also learning alongside of them. Many mistakes were made, many laughs were

had, and tremendous growth took place. However, this only happened because of the students

and their willingness to partner with me as I grew in my skills. To some parents, this may have

been absolutely terrifying, or simply nerve wracking. However, every parent supported me along

side of their children. I chose this artifact to show the communication portion of this

competency. While teachers should absolutely communicate with parents throughout their entire

time together on various topics, it is important for parents to hear “thank you” as well. When the

parents feel valued and seen, they will be encouraged to partner with the teacher for their

student’s benefit. Ultimately, the communication and collaboration is for the students and their

success as they grow, learn, and achieve higher things.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 3

The second artifact is a photograph of three students who completed a homophone

activity in class together. This photograph was posted on SeeSaw, a digital portfolio, for their

parents to see. Every group had their picture taken and posted as well. This artifact shows that

the students were proficient in the skill of identifying homophones, but also shows that the

students were able to work with each other in a group to practice the objective. I chose this

artifact for the collaboration portion of this competency because it is a way to communicate with

the parents on what the students are learning. After the parents were informed, they could then

do additional practice at home. These collaborative efforts will give the student an added

opportunity to succeed.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

As I have grown to love my students over the past seven weeks, I have wanted nothing

but success for them. However, in my classes at Regent, I learned that no matter what I did in the

classroom to give them an opportunity to succeed, I could not change what was happening at

home. Despite this truth, I can put in the effort to connect, communicate, and collaborate with the

parents as much as possible. This effort was not fruitful every time, but it did have an impact on

many families. Through the successes and the failures, I learned adaptability and diligence.

When communicating with parents, a teacher must be adaptable. Because every family is

so different, “it is unrealistic to think that there is only one type of family-school relationship and

to take a ‘one size fits all’ approach to collaboration” (Ming-tak & Wai-shing, 2008, pg. 169).

Not every parent will choose to use twitter to keep up with their student. Furthermore, not every

family will have internet to log onto SeeSaw. Some parents may want a phone call home or a

letter in their student’s backpack. Therefore, a teacher should be trying to use more than one

avenue for communication. The authors of the Peabody Journal of Education, highlighted that
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 4

teachers will see “fewer and milder behavior problems among students whose parents received

greater than usual opportunities to connect with teachers” (Gabel, Graybill, & Connors, 1997, pg.

143). If a student’s parents do not have the opportunity to talk to the teacher on the phone, rather

than email, a teacher may never hear from a parent. Furthermore, their student may suffer from

the teacher’s lack of adaptability.

Once the teacher finds a way to communicate with every family, the teacher should be

diligent in this communication. On the bad days, the teacher should communicate their concerns

in order to collaborate and succeed. On the good days, the teacher should take the opportunity to

call home because “positive recognition encourages students and helps build positive

relationships with parents”(Hawes, 2007, pg. 331). This positive reinforcement will not only

create a positive learning environment in the classroom, but it may also add to the environment

at home.

While communication may seem tedious and incredibly difficult at times, it is a priority

for the students in the classroom. For teachers, this struggle may clear up with a shift in

perspective. If our focus is on the success, growth, and worth of our students, the minor

complications with be lost in the joy of their achievements.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 5

References

Gabel, H., Graybill, D., & Connors, G. (1977). Parent-Teacher Communication in Relation to

Child Academic Achievement and Self-Concept. Peabody Journal of Education, 54(3),

142-145. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/stable/1491529

Hawes, K. (2007). Parents Are Not the Enemy: Ten Tips for Improving Parent-Teacher

Communication. The Mathematics Teacher, 101(5), 329-331. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/stable/20876139

Ming-tak, H., & Wai-shing, L. (2008). Working with Parents to Create a Positive Classroom

Environment. In Classroom Management: Creating a Positive Learning Environment

(pp. 165-182). Hong Kong University Press. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/stable/j.ctt1xw9ng.13
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 6