Teamwork for Success!
The Parent-Professional
Relationship
presented by
Linda Carmona-Bell
&
Diana Neri
Goals and Expectations
•
To understand “what is collaboration
and a collaborative team environment”
•
To understand the components of
working effectively in a collaborative
team
•
To increase collaboration skills that will
foster positive family-school
communication
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What is Collaboration?
Think about a few words that
you associate with
“collaboration.”
Activity
• DIRECTIONS:
• Think about a situation when you had
to collaborate. What did you do right
or what did you do that you thought
was wrong?
• Think about your actions.
• Hold onto this memory for later in
the training.
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Why Collaborate?
Why Collaborate?
• It is through the work of collaborative
teams that students with disabilities are
fully included in typical activities and
routines and beyond to extracurricular
activities.
• It is not always easy.
• Working through differences and finding
areas of agreement and compromise are
necessary to meet the ultimate goal of
inclusion and meaningful participation for
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the student.
Effective Inclusion involves good
collaboration and communication
among teachers, family members,
administrators, paraeducators,
and community resources.
The Collaborative Team
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So…
What is a Collaborative
Team?
“For the Birds”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJzQiemCIuY
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What is a Collaborative
Team?
• A collaborative team has a common
language
• Sometimes collaboration can be
mean-spirited and ineffective. We
want our teams to be positive and
supportive.
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Finish this sentence…
A Collaborative Team is not…
Jot down your thoughts
in the CHAT area!
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A Collaboratve Team is not…
• A bully pulpit
• A dictatorship-monopolizing
conversation
• A close-minded forum without hearing
and listening to one another
• Where multiple people speak at the
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same time
Guided Viewing
As you view the video, make note of
specific examples of collaboration.
Also, note ways you have used
these skills in working with your
team.
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• Everyone on the team has a valuable
contribution to make to the team and to
support your child.
• The collaborative team is often the IEP
team, and should include teachers, family
members, administrators, related service
and support personnel, paraeducators,
community resources, and, of course, the
student.
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The Importance of Team
Composition
• Who should be on the team?
• How many members are there on the
team?
• Is anyone missing from the team?
Core Team Members
Expanded Team Members
Consulting Team Members
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What is my role
on this team?
Team Specific Roles should:
• Reflect the strengths and talents
of the individual member
• Vary to share responsibilities
• Be identified and filled
• Be voluntary
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Think about…
What strengths do you
bring to the team?
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Collaborative Teaming is a
transdisciplinary approach to
team functioning that is. . .
• based on mutual goals within a framework
of similar beliefs
• requires parity among participants
• depends on shared responsibility for
participation and decision making
• requires shared responsibility for
outcomes
• requires that participants share their
resources
• reflects voluntary relationships
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Characteristics of Collaboration
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Collaborative
Teaming
• The most important feature of a
collaborative team is shared decisionmaking as they work toward a “common
goal”.
• Establishing a “common goal” is central to
successfully meeting the needs of a
student.
• People working together to achieve a
common goal or goals.
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Some Team Conflict
is to be Expected…
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Conflict:
“The struggle that occurs when
individuals, interdependent with
others, perceive that those others
are interfering with their goal
attainment.”
(Friend & Cook)21
How Do You Collaborate?
How Do You Collaborate?
• Acknowledge differences
• Open discussion of each person’s
positions
• Compromise
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One Strategy to Collaborate
1. Clarify the purpose of all gathering
together.
2. What does the student need (academic,
environmental, etc…)? Just focus on the
facts.
3. Identify the current options.
4. Brainstorm (no judgment on suggestions).
5. Review all options to see what meets the
student’s needs (see #2).
6. Choose the best fit for the student and
family.
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What Can
Go Wrong?
• Alternatives are not considered
carefully.
• Minority opinions are silenced.
• Disagreements among members.
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What Can
Go Right?
An effective team can...
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stimulate team interest in the student
Allow for new instructional ideas.
Lead to creative problem solving.
Improve decision making skills.
Build stronger team bonds.
Create ownership and commitment for
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decisions.
Collaboration
It’s all about
communication
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Keys to Effective
Communication
 Active Listening
 Getting beyond egos
 Empathizing
 and…
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 Ongoing Communication
If families are to be involved as true
partners in their children's education, it
is important to provide on-going
opportunities to hear their concerns and
comments as well as providing them
information.
Moles, 1996
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Effective communications
builds TRUST among
Team Members.
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Think about how your team
has established trust.
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Activity
• Step 1: Recall the personal situation
from the beginning of this session.
• Step 2: Determine what you like
about what you did.
• Step 3: Determine what you could
have done differently.
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“We will surely get to our
destination if we join hands.”
Kyi, Aung San Suu
Human Rights Activist
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ANY QUESTIONS
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