Working with Colleagues
What is Collaboration
A style of interaction between individuals engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal (p.208)
Students ultimately benefit from good communication between...
the school and home (p. 215)
An introductory letter, Newsletters, Letter about classroom management and discipline, Back-to-school night, information sheets, open house, assignment sheets, individual notes and letters, phone calls, websites and email, special events and informal contacts, sending home student work, report cards, and parent-teacher conferences (p. 219-228)
Why Collaborate?
To meet the needs of the students
To improve professional competence
To provide leadership (p. 209)
Why is understanding student's home condition important?
Information about a student's home setting can help you decide on an appropriate course of action with the student (p. 215)
What is the purpose of a back-to-school night?
Families receive information about academic programs, grading guidelines, homework policy, rules and procedures, and other expectations.
Who do teachers often turn to when they need help?
Teachers often turn to colleagues as a source of ideas and support (p. 210)
What are ways you can have frequent contact with an individual?
Dialogue, chatting, phone calls, home visits, talking with community workers, afternoon homework help, and tutoring (p. 218)
What are three points to consider when contacting families?
1. Initial contact with all families
2. Ongoing contact with all families
3. Contact with selected families
List two other school professionals that teachers can use as resources:
Counselors, psychologists, reading specialists, special education resource teachers, librarians, media specialists, and curriculum specialists (p. 210)
How can parent's assist the teacher?
Supplies, volunteers to serve, and field trip chaperones (p. 215)
How should individual notes/letters home be written?
-Free of grammatical errors
-Brief, concise, and to the point
-Written in parents' native language where applicable and possible
-Positive and with the benefit of the child in mind
(p. 225)
What are some collaboration skills?
Communication
Problem-solving
conflict resolution
administrative and management skills (p. 212-213)
How can you work through cultural and language differences? List two ways
Learn about the cultures of the families, use school resources and interpreters, acknowledge and adapt to cultural differences in social etiquette, have frequent family contacts, provide families with information about the school, encourage family participation, and adjust how you conduct family-teacher conferences (p 217-218).
What are the 7 guidelines for conducting a parent-teacher conference?
(Name at least 5 to get the points).
1. Begin in a positive manner
2. Present the student's strong points before describing matters that need improvement.
3. Present documentation for the student's grades.
4. Encourage the family to participate and share information.
5. Plan a course of action cooperatively.
6. End the conference with a positive comment.
7. Use good human relations skills during the conference.
(p. 229)