Special Education Team Collaboration Present

Special Education

Team Collaboration

Present research and practice indicate that some children with disabilities learn best in inclusive classrooms. Getting together children with diverse abilities and typically achieving students often brings with it the need for general and special education teachers to collaborate. Collaboration between general and special education teachers has been shown to be an effective technique. It is thought that this approach to education can improve instruction as educators pool their talents and has become a fundamental factor in education (Tannock, 2009).

All too often, special education teachers and general education teachers work separately when developing learning plans for children. They often discover themselves developing learning plans for the same children and yet are not successful in connecting the learning plans in meaningful ways. Alternatively, educators can find themselves focusing on different children within a single classroom as the special education teacher attends to the children with disabilities and the general education teacher attends to the children without disabilities. The educators might be working within the same space but fail to connect their teaching practice. Thus, although the classroom might be inclusive, the teaching strategies remain exclusive (Tannock, 2009).

In an article entitled, Tangible and Intangible Elements of Collaborative Teaching, by Tannock (2009), the author looks at the idea that education is a multidimensional and comprehensive event connecting varied professionals and experiences. She proposed that the choice to work as a cooperative unit or independently directly affects the form and extent of learning. She looked at groups of children with disabilities and how they could be best taught in regular classrooms using collaborative teaching between the regular classroom teachers and the special education teachers.

The author cited several other experts in this field in doing her research. Some of articles and books included: Twenty ways to consult and support students with special needs in inclusive classrooms, Dover, (2005), Examining special and general education collaborative practices in exemplary schools, McLaughlin, (2002) and Inclusive early childhood education: A Collaborative approach, Winter, (2007).

The conclusion that Tannock came to was that independently, neither the special education nor the general education approach is as dynamic as when they are intertwined. Planning for collaborative teaching requires a commitment to effectively integrate the ideas and goals of each participant. A positive frame of mind and an acceptance of varied perspectives work together to allow a foundation of cooperation that are mutually beneficial and supportive of student learning. Ultimately, collaboration can strengthen the connection between school and home, create a shared commitment to learning, support student learning, and build support for inclusive classroom.

Although collaboration is an umbrella term that includes a wide array of interactions between individuals, co-teaching is a specific instructional service-delivery model by which two or more professionals together deliver substantive instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of students in the same physical space. Co-teaching involves the co-planning, co-instruction, and co-assessing of a group of students with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Simply putting two educators in the same room is neither sufficient nor necessarily collaborative. Teachers need to actively collaborate with their colleagues in order to make sure that (a) lessons are research based, (b) lessons address the wide variety of needs in the general education classroom, (c) lessons ensure access to the general education curriculum for diverse learners, (d) ongoing data collection and progress monitoring is occurring (Murawski and Hughes, 2009).

In the article Response to Intervention, Collaboration, and Co-Teaching: A Logical Combination for Successful Systemic Change, by Murawski and Hughes,(2009), they authors look at the idea that collaborative team teaching is needed in order to make the instruction of special education children in the general classroom. When conducted properly, co-teaching results in many benefits for students and teachers. Teachers are able to engage in more active instruction, learn different strategies from one another, and are more easily able to differentiate in the classroom. Students in co-taught classes have been found to improve in academics, behavior, social skills, and self-esteem as compared with those taught solely in the special education classroom. Although the research on co-teaching is limited, what is available is generally positive and continuing to grow. However, it is important to note that co-teaching is not an instructional strategy or technique per se; rather, it is a method by which educators can work collaboratively to deliver quality instruction. The authors looked at students with disabilities that were being taught in general classrooms in order to see if team collaboration was the right method that should be used for these students.

The authors cited several other articles and books in doing their research on this subject. Some of these other resources included: Co-teaching: Guidelines for creating, Cook and Friend, (1995), What are the characteristics of "effective" middle and high school co-taught teams? Dieker, (2001) and Teaching with purpose: Closing the research -- practice gap, Penick Harris, (2005).

The conclusion that the authors drew was that co-teaching and collaboration offer a strong means of achieving the goals of teaching special needs students. It allows teachers and other professionals to interact in structured ways that allow flexibility of instructional options and providing intensive instruction for students at the time they need it. The already-overworked general educator who lacks the training and time needed to provide intensive strategies, collect assessment data, and ensure differentiated instruction and cross-curricular connections is provided another professional with whom he or she can meet the same goals. Together, they can ensure that the general education curriculum is accessible to all students and that additional services are provided through additional support (Murawski and Hughes, 2009).

At any given time, general and special education teachers may find themselves managing and supervising one or more paraprofessionals within their classrooms. Paraprofessionals signify a growing and important segment of personnel used to provide support for students with severe learning or behavioral needs in self-contained and inclusive classrooms. The practice of working as an instructional team may be a positive or negative one and have various implications for students. When teacher and paraprofessional are visibly working as a team, an educational atmosphere exists that is favorable for positive student learning (Delvin, 2007).

In an article entitled Create Effective Teacher-Paraprofessional Teams, by Delvin (2007), the author set out to explore how best paraprofessionals could be used as part of a team teaching effort to support special education needs children in a general classroom. The groups of students that were looked at where ones that had special needs but were being taught in the general classroom. It is important that both the teacher and the paraprofessional get to know one another's skills, interests, and talents so that responsibilities and training needs can be identified. Each member brings a great deal of experiences and skills to the classroom all which are thought to be valuable resources.

The authors' research discovered that paraprofessionals can be very valuable assets to the team approach to teaching these children. It is important to hold regularly scheduled meetings in order foster a sense of teamwork. Team members should meet at either the beginning or the end of the week to discuss plans, implementation, and results. Taking time to plan and reflect in a formal manner will result in benefits for everyone involved. Some highly effective teams report that regular brainstorming enhances their effectiveness and cohesiveness as a team. More times than not, it has been found that two heads are better than one (Delvin, 2007).

The research shows that rotation of responsibilities and students who work with paraprofessionals is the best use of their talents. This practice promotes a sense of fairness within the classroom. Assigning a paraprofessional to work with only one student over a prolonged length of time can establish overreliance and so interfere with the interaction between student, general education teacher, and peers. Paraprofessionals can bring insight and ideas that contribute highly to the quality of the classroom. It is important that they are provided with an atmosphere that is open to suggestions, discussion, and clarification (Delvin, 2007).

The author cited a few other sources in looking at this issue. These resources included: Paraprofessionals in the classroom, by Ashbaker and Morgan, (2006), The paraprofessional's guide to the inclusive classroom: Working as a team, by Doyle, (2002) and A teacher's guide to working with paraeducaors and other classroom aides, by Morgan and Ashbaker, (2001).

The conclusion that the author came to was that paraprofessionals are a valuable resource for creating an environment that is beneficial for adults and students. Individuals cannot be effective team members unless they see themselves as being important to the team effort. Extending this notion, others should also view individual members as contributors to the work of the team. It is important that teachers communicate to their paraprofessional that each member of the team brings valuable skills and each is very important to the over all education process. The goal is to provide these children with the best education possible and having skilled team members it the best way to do this.