Running head: COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Stacy Spivey

Regent University

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

COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 2

Effective Communication and Collaboration

In order for a classroom and its school to thrive, there must be effective communication

and collaboration. This communication and collaboration occurs between all members of the

school, including students, teachers, parents, other faculty, and sometimes even its community.

Not only does communication and collaboration help the school achieve its goal, but it also helps

unify it.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact I selected for this competency is my outline for the morning meetings

from Monday, February 4th to Friday, February 8th. Also attached is a separate document with the

detailed morning messages from each day. It was displayed at the beginning of class on the

Promethean board. Although it seems simplistic in nature, the morning meeting is a crucial way

for the teacher to collaborate and communicate with the students. Every day, my cooperating

teacher expects the students to read the morning message upon entering her classroom. As a

result, I was able to use the morning message to effectively disclose important details to students.

Not only this, but I was also able signal that the school day was beginning, focusing students and

mentally preparing them for the day ahead. Similarly, the students clearly understand my

expectations for them, allowing them to accomplish their assigned tasks while also having

enough time to unpack or eat their provided breakfasts. Likewise, it helped me avoid being

disturbed by questions that the students would have otherwise, enabling me to proceed with other

tasks like greeting incoming students or checking their homework.

In addition to being a resourceful form of communication, the morning meeting for that

week reflected my collaboration with the school’s guidance counselor. During that week, the

school was initiating a kindness campaign that coincided with their Positive Behavior
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Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system. Due to this, the sharing portion of our morning

meetings were supposed to address different aspects of kindness. Using this, I was able to

facilitate brief discussions with the students about kindness, helping them contemplate its

characteristics and importance. Furthermore, I was also able to tie in some greetings and

activities that allowed our students to show kindness to each other, especially when welcoming

two new students to our class.

The second artifact that demonstrates this competency is a letter that I created for future

parents or guardians of potential special education (SPED) students. The letter provides

information and encouragement for the parent or guardian, especially since the transition into

special education be overwhelming and frightening. It explains the process beginning with the

student’s referral to the creation of their individualized education program (IEP). Additionally,

the letter provides a list of resources and websites the parents or guardians can reference for

further information and support. It also makes the parents or guardians aware of the network of

professionals who will be supporting them and their child, and it emphasizes the rights they as a

parent have in the process. I have had the opportunity to work in inclusion classrooms for two

out of my three placements, and I have also observed an IEP meeting with a student’s parent.

This has helped me become more familiar with the proceedings of SPED as well as the

importance of being positive when discussing SPED with a child’s parents or guardians. With

this letter, I will be able to effectively communicate with parents about SPED, collaborating with

them and other professionals to ensure the students receive the tools they need to succeed.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

While I learned in my courses that communication and collaboration were key elements

of the school day, I did not realize how crucial it was until I was teaching. Primarily, I noticed

how essential it was to maintain order and foster success in the daily routine of my classroom.
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Third-graders are especially inquisitive creatures, and they have a tendency to over-communicate

(Pellissier, 2018). From tattling on each other’s poor behavior to asking repeated questions about

how to perform a task, the students will unintentionally waste time if procedures are not in place

to answer or eliminate their questions. For this reason, it is especially important to have methods

prepared to efficiently communicate to students what is expected of them. One example of this

that we utilize in the classroom is a list explaining the tasks that students must complete during

their independent task time. With this, the students are able to work individually, allowing me

and the cooperating teacher to be uninterrupted while working with our small groups.

In addition to communication’s use in classroom management, it is also invaluable for

building trust with students, parents, and even other faculty members. When speaking about the

purpose of morning meetings, Roxann Kriete said, “It is good for students to be noticed, to be

seen by their teacher” (Kriete and Davis, 2016, p. 2). While the morning meeting adds structure

to the day, the meeting as a whole actively facilitates communication between the teacher and

students, showing them that they matter. In the greeting, the teacher welcomes the student and

starts their day off with genuine and personable communication. Then, the sharing portion allows

students to formulate and communicate their thoughts on a topic. After that, the activity allows

them to collaborate in a fun way. After all, “Collaboration provides students opportunities to

learn from their peers and to gain skills that will be beneficial throughout their lives”

(‘Characteristics of Effective Instruction: Student-Centered Classrooms,’ n.d.). Finally, the

message informs and inspires them, preparing them mentally. Without tools like this, students

would not be as predisposed to learn, damaging the teacher’s effectiveness. Likewise, teachers

must have productive communication with parents. Some of these exchanges are more

individualized, such as at parent-teacher conferences or IEP meetings. Others are more routine,
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like weekly newsletters or folders containing the students classwork for them to review.

However, all are necessary for the student to succeed.

In regards to collaboration, its presence is equally important. A sign of a well-organized

and effective school system is their ability to collaborate. After learning about the professional

learning community in my courses, I was anticipating having the opportunity to collaborate with

other teachers, especially since I am still developing my proficiency as an educator. In each

meeting, we meet with specialists for the subject area being planned. As they provide us with

materials and emphasize what content we need to address in the upcoming weeks, they also ask

for our feedback and suggestions in regards to instruction. As a result, the group is able to benefit

from others’ strengths while also contributing their own. While this allows each classroom to

effectively function, it also creates a sense of unity within the school that is just as profitable for

every member of the school.

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References

Characteristics of Effective Instruction: Student-Centered Classrooms. (n.d.). IowaCORE, 1-7.

Retrieved October 11, 2018, from

https://regent.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/10773.UED.442.01.201910/classroo

m_brief Student cenetered classrooms.pdf.

Pellissier, H. (2018, October 31). Inside the 3rd grader's brain. Retrieved February 18, 2019,

from https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/third-grader-brain-development/

Kriete, R., & Davis, C. (2016). The Morning Meeting Book: K-8. Turner Falls, MA: Center for

Responsive Schools.