Running head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Martha Martin

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

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Introduction

Successful communication and collaboration requires give and take from all parties

involved in running a school. No matter how many years of experience an educator might have,

everyone has something to bring to the table in creating an environment conducive to quality

academic achievement and strong community. Effective interaction for a teacher is not limited to

communicating with students during school hours; between staff meetings, parent teacher

conferences, workshops, writing notes of improvement / encouragement, and group planning

sessions, faculty and staff need to practice intentional communication. The welfare of students

and health of a flourishing staff, depends on how teachers invest in relationships. Students

flourish under leadership that emphasizes transparency, graciousness, and honesty in

communication. Together, communication and collaboration provide opportunity to create a

thriving environment. To showcase the importance of this competency, a collaborative lesson

plan, notes from a cooperative lab meeting, and notes from a parent teacher conference will be

used to demonstrate avenues to practice communication and collaboration.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

My first artifact, a whole group reading lesson plan, provides evidence for collaboration

between my cooperating teacher (Ms. Hobbs) and I. Our joint work consisted of her selection of

a Core Clicks assignment on non-fiction text structure and my translation of the material into a

Madeline Hunter style plan. The plan was created a few days before delivery which gave ample

time for editing and evaluation from Ms. Hobbs. Her expertise with Language Arts and my

research on discussion questions, helped scaffold a cohesive and successful lesson.

My second artifact consists of notes from two separate co-lab meetings that began as a

grade-level specific meeting but finished as an all-inclusive faculty and staff conference. The
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sessions began with a Kahoot game reminding teachers of important policies and the mission of

Kings Grant Elementary. The meeting them moved into information pertaining to Google

classroom updates, lesson planning in future units, general questions and concerns, and a lecture

on behavior specific contingent praise. At the end, the Principal delivered an encouraging speech

about how inspirational her staff’s ideas and feedback can be and how they fuel discussions for

how we, as educators, may better the lives of our students.

Finally, my last artifact covers notes from a Parent Teacher Conference held between the

child’s parents, Ms. Hobbs (his Language Arts teacher), Ms. Schooley (his math and science

teacher), and myself. This meeting showed me how imperative it is that teachers are actively

involving parents in their child’s education. In this case, the child’s parents work with him daily

to progress towards his goals. However, in the meeting, all of us collaboratively brainstormed

new ideas to provide support in areas where he struggles. To increase his reading fluency and

understanding of multiplication tables, his teachers and his parents plan to work together to

provide the practice he needs to succeed.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

In an occupation where an individual constantly sets the standard for behavior, educators

need to practice what they preach by communicating and collaborating with the people around

them. In a thought-provoking article discussing the need for quality communication within

schools specifically in the context of controversial issues, Galloway et al. state “educators should

then recast themselves as listeners and facilitators” (Galloway et al. 2017). It is our duty as

teachers to constantly reflect on how our words, attitudes, and intentions effect not only

ourselves, but our students as we demonstrate to them how to show others trust and respect.
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My personal experience at Regent University has made a positive impact on my views of

collaborating with peers. Especially in my major classes, our group work has always increased

my understanding of the material at hand and has inspired me to perform my own further

research. One professor made an analogy during our Curriculum Design class that we are a

machine: the mechanisms cannot work without each individual piece working together. In order

to deepen relationships with students, families, and staff, teachers must effectively communicate

expectations, concerns, and praise. Sharing responsibility and collaborating inside and outside

the classroom not only lightens the workload but also inspires learning new things from

understanding someone else’s methods and perspective (Jones, 2015). In fact, evidence from

research studies have shown the increased success of schools which actively collaborate within

grade levels. Killion states that “teachers’ rate of improvement increases more rapidly if they

work in a school with higher-quality collaboration” (Killion, 2015). My classes at Regent have

already begun preparing me for collaboration and communication as I build relationships with

my peers and connect with them during my student teaching experience. Through continuing to

practice my skills in communication and collaboration, I will present a good example to my

students and improve their quality of education by incorporating materials that I would be unable

to compile solely by myself.

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References

Jones, L. (2015, July 21). The Power Of Teacher Collaboration. Retrieved February 03, 2018,

from https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/07/18/power-of-teacher-collaboration-

nea/

KILLION, J. (2015, October). High-quality collaboration benefits teachers and students.

Retrieved February, 2018, from https://learningforward.org/docs/default-source/jsd-

october-2015/high-quality-collaboration-benefits-teachers-and-students.pdf

Phillips Galloway, E., Uccelli, P., & Dobbs, C. (2017, November 15). Good Communication

Doesn't Come Naturally. We Have to Teach It. Retrieved February 03, 2018, from

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/11/15/we-need-to-teach-students-how-

to.html?qs=communication