Running head: COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Hannah Miller

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2019

Communication and Collaboration 2

Introduction

Teaching does not occur in a vacuum. Not only is the teacher interacting with the

students every day, they also work with their parents, administration, and fellow staff members

on a daily basis. Therefore, it is imperative that a good teacher not only be effective at

communicating with their students, but with the others they interact with as well. Teachers

become the interface for all three groups of adults, as well as the students they are in charge of.

However, they do not have to do it all alone. Collaborating with parents, administration, and

fellow teachers can allow the classroom teacher to be more effective, both inside and outside the

classroom.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

For this objective, I selected a letter to parents that was distributed before my arrival as

an artifact of communication. This letter is a good example of communication because it

introduces who and I am and what I am going to be doing in the classroom. This establishes a

positive reputation at the beginning of my placement with the parents and it gives students the

opportunity to see what I look like and learn some things about me before I randomly show up in

their room. Although the cooperating teacher also sent out information regarding my placement

in the classroom, sending my own letter gives me the opportunity to personally make a

connection with each parent. It establishes my background, gives details about my future plans,

and reassures parents that my presence in the classroom will not disrupt student learning.

The second artifact I chose to demonstrate this objective is a page of notes and a picture

collage from a Professional Development Workshop that was held during a teacher work day.

These items relay collaboration among administration and staff. The workshop was an hour filled

with mini-sessions and whole group activities. During whole group time, we examined how well
Communication and Collaboration 3

we know our students personally and how this knowledge affects our classroom and our

relationships with those students. We then split into small groups to do several workshops. The

two Mrs. James and I went to discussed goal-setting and PBIS rewards. In these groups we were

able to talk with teachers from all grade levels. This type of collaboration focuses on sharing

thoughts and ideas in a casual setting. This artifact shows the importance of learning from

others, as well as contributing to the conversation. Teachers never work alone.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

In some of my courses at Regent we discussed the importance of working as a group. We

were often put into teams or professional learning communities. We then had to work together in

order to create content for the rest of the class. While group work is not always everyone’s

favorite thing, it does prepare the student teacher for working with others. While classrooms used

to be isolated in the past, today’s schools are more collaborative. Grade levels get together to

discuss goals and strategies. They share worksheets and assessments. They look to each other for

guidance with difficult students and parents alike. "The happiest and most successful teachers,

administrators, parents, and school board members are there to work with you to help you

become an effective teacher so that you, in turn, can help and affect students” (Wong, Wong, &

Seroyer, 2009, p.25).

In addition, classrooms are becoming more inclusive. Currently, I am in a classroom

with several students who had 504s, a couple with IEPs, and several more who are identified as

gifted. I am not just working with my other grade level teachers, I am also working with the sign

language interpreters, teachers of the deaf, school counselor, and gifted instructor. This provided

a variety of resources to draw from. Heidi Hollingsworth states, “Teachers who are not exposed

to a variety of instructional methods are less likely to practice new strategies and acquire skills in
Communication and Collaboration 4

differentiating instructions for students with special needs” (2001, p. 6). But collaboration cannot

occur without communication. This is where I, as a new student teacher, struggle. I still have

trouble seeking help from other teachers and giving input or suggestions when attending

meetings. I feel as though I do not have the age or experience needed to contribute, although I

know this is not always the case.

I am working on improving my confidence when working with other adults because, not

only does communication and collaboration help teachers, it helps students as well. According to

one study, “In the United States, collaboration among teachers during planning had a significant

positive effect on students' math achievement” (Reeves, Pun, & Chung, 2017, p. 232). Teachers

can gain valuable insight and strategies from each other if they are willing to sit down and share.

Taking courses where we were encouraged to work with our fellow classmates in order to

produce lessons and presentations provided practice in these areas. Continuing to collaborate and

communicate with others will set me on the right path as I begin my teaching career.
Communication and Collaboration 5

References

Hollingsworth, H. L. (2001). We need to talk: Communication strategies for effective

collaboration. Teaching Exceptional Children, 33(5), 6.

Reeves, P. M., Pun, W. H., & Chung, K. S. (2017). Influence of teacher collaboration on job

satisfaction and student achievement. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 227-236.

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.016

Wong, H. K., Wong, R. T., & Seroyer, C. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an

effective teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.