Running head: Effective Collaboration and Communication Teaching Competency p.

Effective Communication and Collaboration

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience E-Portfolio, Fall 2019

Introduction

Schools of the twenty-first century call for teachers to share ideas and instructional

strategies amongst each other, for parents’ participation and input, and for learning to have a

real-world impact. To accomplish this, teachers must demonstrate a competence in effective

collaboration and communication—within school walls and throughout the community.

Communication between teachers and parents regarding the progression of their students should

be open and consistent. Additionally, schools across the country have embrace collaborative

learning and the exchange of ideas amongst colleagues of at least the same grade.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

In line with meeting the on-going professional standards required of teachers from the

district, Woodstock utilizes the skills of instructional coaches to aid teachers in meeting the

needs of their students. Both the instructional coaches and the teachers shared a common goal—

to maximize student success.

It is from such a meeting that I highlight my practical understanding of this competency.

Included with this reflection is a picture of the fifth-grade team meeting with the Informational

Technology Specialist for Woodstock Elementary. The purpose of this meeting was to highlight

a student-centered reflection, communication, and assignment platform called SeeSaw. Though

this platform gained wide-spread success with the lower grades, the upper grades—fourth and

fifth—questioned how this platform would both benefit and enrich their older students. After

seeing this program in action in a kindergarten classroom, Mrs. Wyman requested the ITS to

present SeeSaw to the fifth-grade teachers. This artifact illustrates the collaborative nature of

grade-level teams with the resource officers stationed at their school.

The second artifact presented with this reflection is a modified version of the parent

communication platform known as Remind. This platform was presented to parents during the

meet-and-greet session a week before school. Parents were highly encouraged to download the

Remind app and use a designated code to join their students’ homeroom. Through Remind,

parents can get in direct contact with their student teachers. Furthermore, Remind serves as a

means for teachers to rely important information, i.e instructions for Virtual Learning Day,

through the app which will appear as a notification to parents.

Reflections on Theory and Practice

The theory of Professional Learning Communities was present in full through the

Classroom Management and Instructional Strategies course. We were given the opportunity to

pick a grade that we would like to one day teach. From this list of choices, our professor divided

the class into grade-levels, which become our Professional Learning Community.

From my practicum experience to my student teaching experience, I knew that

participating in instructional grade-level collaboration sessions would be an integral part of

working with my fellow grade-level colleagues. The benefits of positive professional learning

communities cannot be overstated. For example, Esma Çolak published an article in Education

and Science, empathizing positive outcomes that teachers observed while working together in

Professional Learning Communities on constructivist lesson planning. The teachers noted that all

members were “liked-minded on the issues that PLC will contribute to their professional

development and they gather for a common purpose” (Çolak, 2017). Additionally, teachers of

the case study noted that professional learning communities proved an avenue for them to “share

their own practices and benefit[ed] from the practices of their colleagues” (Çolak, 2017). What I

have noticed with my time with the fifth-grade planning team and instructional coaches is the
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bond that goes a step beyond professionalism. Teachers from Çolak case study also observed the

camaraderie established through their shared time together (2017).

Incorporating the skills of instructional coaches such as reading specialists, math

specialists, and technology specialists, extends the collaborative nature of professional learning

communities by enhancing lesson planning and overall student engagement. As Dr. Melanie

Lewis mentions in her article, Administrator’s Instructional Leadership Perspective of the Role

of Instructional Coaches Teacher Librarians: A Comparative Examination, these leaders exhibit

an attitude of accomplishing the goals set forth by the district and safeguards the district mission

and vision. All the while working with teachers towards student success (2019).

Additionally, the Classroom Management and Instructional Strategies course sought to

focus our attention on developing procedures necessary to running a smooth classroom. In line

with this competency, the procedure for communicating with students and parents was stressed.

Given the popularity of classroom communication smartphone applications, parents would be

inclined to communicate with their children teachers even more so. According to a study

conducted by communications experts Blair Christopher Thompson, Joseph P. Mazer, and

Elizabeth Flood Grady (2019), this does not seem to be the case. Their results reflected that

parents preferred communication was via email for matters pertaining to academic support

(Thompson, Mazer, and Flood-Grady, 2019). When asked why they picked emails as a preferred

source of communication, parents noted the quickness and convenience of this platform.

(Thompson, Mazer, and Flood-Grady, 2019). Moving forward, I would utilize email as a form

of communication. However, I will try a communication application with the option of sending

pictures and videos (within the realms of privacy) to parents as I believe parents genuinely would

like to know what their children are doing in school.

Conclusion

Mutual respect and effective communication are the foundation to any healthy

relationship, whether it is the relationship established with colleagues or the relationship

established with students, and parents. The prevalence of planning communities allows fellow

teachers to exhibit a heart-felt, warm place to share their knowledge, experience, questions, and

concerns. This warm camaraderie translates to team spirit and team spirit transformed into

school pride. This warm and welcoming presence can be felt throughout the entire school.
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References

Çolak, E. (2017). Teachers' experiences in a professional learning community on the

constructivist lesson planning: A case study among primary school teachers. Egitim Ve

Bilim, 42(190) Retrieved from http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-

proquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/docview/1900488340?accountid=13479

Lewis, M. A. (2019). Administrators' instructional leadership perspective of the role of

instructional coaches and teacher librarians: A comparative examination. School

Libraries Worldwide, 25(2), 16-33.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.14265.25.2.002

Thompson, B. C., Mazer, J. P., & Flood Grady, E. (2015). The Changing Nature of Parent–

Teacher Communication: Mode Selection in the Smartphone Era. Communication

Education, 64(2), 187–207. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1080/03634523.2015.1014382