Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Philosophy Statement

SPED 854: Family and Interprofessional Collaboration in Special Education

University of Kansas

Dr. Irma Brasseur-Hock & Naheed Abdulrahim

Brent Seager

May 15, 2017

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 2

Collaboration in Special Education

Collaboration in all school environments, especially in general and special education is a

key element to ensure that all supports are in place for students to be successful in their

educational placements. Collaboration begins with assembling people or a team, this includes

general and special education teachers along with other staff members, parents, and community

members as necessary. While collaboration is vital for general education teachers and other staff

members, it is an essential element for special education teachers and supporting staff members.

There are several different factors that ensure successful collaboration and there also several

factors that create barriers to successful collaboration, and it is important to keep these facts in

mind in order to ensure that the best environment to collaborate in is available for all educators

and staff members. With the digital age, new ways of collaboration are available to use, and this

has allowed collaborating to become easier for teachers, staff members, parents, and community

members who utilize new technologies.

One collaboration topic that still has all sides debating is when should team collaboration

for a student begin? Many educators, staff members, professionals, parents, and community

members are willing to collaborate; however, power and culture often play a significant role in

hindering the collaboration process. If special education team members do not collaborate, there

is a good chance that services, accommodations/modifications, and supports will not be put into

place for students that need them. Thus, making it challenging for special education students to

access the general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment. Even though some

special education team members might not want to collaborate, it is essential that all team

members participate to ensure that all needs and concerns of the students are addressed and the

necessary supports and services are put into place.

Special Education Collaboration Team Members

Special education collaboration team members may vary between each school or district,

there are several members that usually comprise the special education collaboration team. The
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 3

first members of the collaboration team are the students and their parents or guardians. The other

members of the team consider placements, supports, services, and other necessary elements that

align with student/family goals, beliefs, and ideals to provide the best environment for each

student. Other members of the special education team include the special education teacher

(case manager), other special education teachers, para professionals, general education teachers,

administrators, related service providers, school psychologist, counselors, transition coordinator,

and other community leaders or professionals as needed. While not all special education

collaboration teams are the same, they usually have at least one special education teacher, one

general education teacher, one administrator, and usually the school psychologist along with the

student and parents or guardians. I like to encourage all general education teachers of all

students on my case load to attend collaboration meetings, as their input is valuable in helping to

determine the right placements, services, and supports for the student.
Factors for Successful Collaboration in Special Education
There are several factors that need to be in place for successful collaboration to occur in

special education. The first factor for successful collaboration is taking the time to collaborate

with other educators and other staff members, which will usually occur before or after school in

many cases. The second factor that can encourage successful collaboration is the use of email

and other technology, in which teachers and other staff members can collaborate even without

meeting face to face. The third factor for successful collaboration to occur in special education is

to establish an environment where all collaboration team members feel of value and will

contribute to the collaboration environment. Perhaps one of the most important factors to

successful collaboration in special education is providing the collaboration team with the results

of the impact of the collaboration team on the student and their education. While there are other

factors that successful collaboration in the special education environment could and probably
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 4

would entail, these four factors are the ones that I have noticed as significant in my first year of

teaching.
Potential Barriers of Successful Collaboration in Special Education
While there are several different barriers that could prevent successful collaboration in

special education, I believe that the biggest barrier would be personal philosophy. Each teacher

has their own philosophy about education and communicating with others, and these

philosophies will undoubtedly differ from other teachers. With differing philosophies and ideals,

some general education teachers may not believe that collaborating with special education

teachers is necessary, as their considerations may not be used in designing an educational plan

for a student. Another potential barrier from successful collaboration occurring in special

education is time, as special and general education teachers are often pressed for time with

coaching, meetings, and many other tasks related to their job before and after school. A third

potential barrier to successful collaboration in special education is initiation, as some team

members and general education teachers may not feel that they should initiate collaboration

between team members. I believe that all team members should communicate and have the

confidence to collaborate as often as necessary to best support each general and special education

student.
Ways to Collaborate in Special Education
In the digital age, there are now many ways in which special and general education

teachers along with other special education team members can collaborate. The first way that

special education team members can collaborate is through the traditional method of face to face

meetings, and this method is sometimes difficult given that the busy daily schedule of all

educators. A second way of collaborating, which is more common today is using email, which is

a great way to keep everyone informed and up to date with all relevant information about a

student. The third way of collaborating can be done using surveys and questionnaires, which are

interactive ways of collaborating and can provide invaluable feedback and results. The fourth
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 5

method that can be used to collaborate are virtual meetings, which can be scheduled at more

convenient times for all team members, thus allowing all team members to collaborate. While

there are many other methods that many educators use to collaborate in special education, these

four are just a few ways in which I could successfully collaborate with others in special

education this school year.

Time Points for Collaboration in Special Education
There are several times in which special education team members should collaborate,

while I argue that collaboration should be a continuously used technique and not just utilized

when it is necessary. The first occurrence in which collaboration should be utilized for students

is when a student is transitioning from grade school into the middle school, as collaboration will

ensure for a smoother transition for the student. The second time in which collaboration should

be used for special education students is when the student moves from middle school to high

school, as this is a significant change and should be carefully considered and supported by all

team members. The third time in which collaboration in special education will need to occur is

when the student is getting ready to graduate, as this will ensure that the necessary supports are

in place for the student to begin the next stage of their life. While there are more than three times

in which collaboration in special education should occur, these three instances are vital occasions

in which collaboration is necessary to ensure success.

Impact of Culture and Power on Collaboration in Special Education

While it might not be apparent, culture and power are two forces that can provide positive

or negative outcomes for collaboration in special education. Culture impacts collaboration

immensely, as diverse groups of people comprise a special education team for each student.

Therefore, it is vital that the cultural make up of each special education team is taken into

consideration when collaborating, as each team member should feel valued and important to the

collaboration and decision making process. Power is another important factor that can positively

or negatively impact collaboration, as it can alienate people on a special education team. People
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 6

that take control of collaboration meetings are often seen as too powerful, which makes other

members of the team less likely to collaborate in the future. When power is equally shared

amongst each member of the collaboration team, the team can make decisions and people are

more likely to collaborate in the future. Even though power and culture may have other impacts

on collaboration, the impacts mentioned here are the ones that I have witnessed during my first

year as a special education teacher (Cook & Friend, 2010, p. 4-6).

Conclusion
My current philosophy on collaboration is that if it does not occur, then providing

students with services, accommodations/modifications, and supports will be almost impossible. I

also believe that all team members should share and contribute to the collaboration process

equally. This encourages collaboration and allows it to continue and grow within in the school

environment. Collaboration team members should include general and special education

teachers, administrators, school professionals, parents, community members, and other people

necessary to support each student. Despite the benefits of successful collaboration for the

students and the teachers involved, there will always be some type of barrier to successful

collaboration, and teachers and special education team members should be able to identify

barriers and address them to move forward.

While there are many great ways to collaborate with other teachers in the digital age, I

believe that becoming technology proficient will significantly help teachers to become better

collaborators in the future. Despite the differing views on when teachers should begin to

collaborate for each student, I believe that it should occur continuously throughout the

educational career of special education students, to ensure that all supports are in place. Even

though I am a supporter of collaboration, I also know that culture and power can impact

successful collaboration, which is why cultural considerations should be made and that every

special education team member shares an equal role and responsibility in the collaboration

process. I know that my philosophy on collaboration could change over the years and with the
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 7

advancements of technology, but right now, I am focusing on implementing the above-mentioned

factors to ensure that I can collaborate effectively with special education team members.

Reference
Cook, L. & Friend, M. (2010). The state of the art of collaboration on behalf of students with

disabilities. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 20(1), p. 4-6.