Effective Collaboration in Schools
Six strategies to promote student learning.
School and Community Relationships
When schools, and community partners work together towards a common goal, student learning is impacted. When school personnel collaborate well, and actively involve and engage the community, together they are able to respond more effectively to the needs of students.
Student and Family Relationships
Positive student and family relationships dramatically impact student learning. Establishing and maintaining positive communication is the key to promoting these essential relationships. Knowing students in a personal way can unlock the door to unbound riches of student achievement. Families serve as partners in the learning of their children.
Classroom Management and Teacher Collaboration
The teacher creates a classroom that is warm and welcoming as a classroom can be considered a second home to a student. The classroom provides comfort and disperses great intellectual stimulation, based on the materials provided and the decorations on the walls. Teachers have the ability to hang up inspirational poster to push students to continue to persevere. The students look forward to coming into their new classroom to see what the new teacher is like, as your classroom is a reflection of you as a teacher.
Community Relationships
“Community involvements foster partnerships among schools, family and community groups, and individuals. These partnerships result in sharing and maximizing resources”. (Sergiovanni, Thomas, 1994, 219.) Community partnerships assist schools, and volunteers spend time as tutors and mentors fostering lasting relationships with students, especially those considered high-risk.
Best Practices
• Volunteers as Mentors To Improve School-Related Behaviors
• Volunteers as Tutors To Have A Positive Impact on Academic Achievement
• Collaborate With Community To Increase Awareness And School Needs
• Access Funding Through Community For Educational Resources and Programs
School Relationships
It is essential for all stakeholders involved to work together towards the common goal of educating the students, and improving student learning. Open and effective communication, mutual respect, accessing the expertise and experience of colleagues, and ensuring that student learning is priority, will promote success.
Best Practices
Teachers, Administrators, Service Providers should collaborate together to enhance student learning by
· Continue Educational and Professional Development
· Collaborate on Instructional Strategies and Curricula Needs
· Collaborate on Behavioral Needs
· Collaborate on Integrating Necessary Supports to meet Student Needs
Student Relationships
As we prepare students for the world in which they must live and work, we must also empower them to shape the future that they imagine by introducing them to a planned learning community (PLC) framework to make a difference with real world experience. Teaching students to work in cooperative learning groups equips them to solve complex problems collaboratively.
Best Practices
· Involve students in action research projects
· Allow students to co-teach in cooperative learning groups
· Create a sense of community
· Promote cooperative learning
Family Relationships
The necessary component of this type of relationship is good communication. An open, two-way communication style leads to friendly relations. Listening to families is important to identify their concerns and suggestions (Burden, 2013, 340). Informing families of academic and behavior expectations helps teachers and families work together to help students stay on task and be successful.
Best Practices
· Keep parents informed of classroom, school and community events in home language
· Inform parents of disciplinary expectations and actions
· Solicit help from families when dealing with behavioral issues
· Schedule meetings that accommodate parents’ schedules
· Learn about cultures of families and students
· Use school district interpreters when necessary
Teacher Collaboration
“Years of research on teacher quality support the fact that effective teachers not only make students feel good about school and learning, but also that their work actually results in increased student achievement.” As a teacher you want to make sure that your rules are clear, but also want to make sure that you engage the children in making some classroom rules they think should be known. By doing this you are encouraging students to talk and voice their opinions and students will feel more welcomed in the classroom and more likely to talk if they need to. You as the teacher have to open the communication lines. The warmer the classroom and the warmer you are the more comfortable your student’s will be and the better the learning environment will be. This being because if a student is struggling with something they will come to you for help or ask another student.
Best Practices
Teachers can enhance student learning by:
· Encouraging peer help
· Encouraging student’s to voice opinions in classroom with a no judgment rule
· Encourage student to ask for help
· Check in with students every now again to see how they are doing both at home and at school. Get to know your students.
Classroom Management
“Educational theorists and practitioners have always recognized the importance of physical space in an early learning environment, with prominent theorists such as Werner, Piaget and Montessori arguing that a child’s environment is crucial to their development and that educational environments should be rich in stimuli, providing opportunity for exploration and testing (Moore, 1987).” Thus leaving the classroom to provide different opportunities for every child and gives them places to explore, to use their imagination. The way a classroom is set up can be the difference between keeping the child focus and stimulated versus losing their attention and boring them. “The design of the physical environment should facilitate a child¶s sense of competence (their capacity to explore their physical world with independence), creating opportunities for learning and play.”
Best Practice
Using inspirational poster
· Rearranging the room every now again to set or stage a new classroom to keep students excited about learning
· Hang up any artwork, homework, or class projects to help boost your student’s confidence and help them to be proud of what they have achieved.
Resources and References
Edutopia: Fostering Relationships in the Classroom
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/fostering-classroom-relationships-larry-ferlazzo-katie-hull-sypnieski
Scholastic: Connecting and Communicating with Parents
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/building-strong-relationships-parents
Building community in schools. The Jossey-Bass education series.
Sergiovanni, Thomas J. San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass. (1994). xxi 219 pp
Methods for Effective Teaching: Meeting the Needs of all Students. Burden, Paul. Pearson. (2013)
Berris, R & Miller, E. (2011). How design of physical environment impacts early learning: Educators and parents perspectives. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(4).
Lepi, K. (2014, March 14). How Does Classroom Design Affect Student Learning? - Edudemic. Edudemic. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.edudemic.com/classroom-design-infographic/
Tucker, P. (n.d.). Membership. The Power of an Effective Teacher and Why We Should Assess It. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104136/chapters/The-Power-of-an-Effective-Teacher-and-Why-We-Should-Assess-It.aspx