Kim Rysemus Phase 4 Integrated Reflection

In my final semester of the LBS 1 program, there was a huge focus on collaboration and teaming. This semester was also slightly different from my previous semesters at the University; I completed my student teaching in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for the ACCESS Grant for low incidence disabilities in urban communities. Being in CPS provided many learning experiences, especially for collaboration. Originally, I was placed at high school in CPS. Unfortunately, for uncontrollable matters, I was relocated to an elementary school early in the semester. However, I was able to take away many learning experiences from the original school as well as the new placement. With collaboration and teaming being the focus of this semester, I was constantly looking for different opportunities to collaborate with colleagues. At the original placement, I saw many opportunities to improve collaboration among co-teachers. Constant communication and collaboration is a key component for a successful, effective learning environment. Teachers and paraprofessionals were constantly repeating themselves across various circumstances because the communication was not open or constant. Plans were made and forgotten because of a lack of teaming. The teachers did not work as a unit and it had adverse effects on instruction, professional relationships, and the overall learning environment. Through my second placement, I found many positive collaboration and teaming experiences that I was learning about in my courses. One particular instance stands out because I was able to directly relate the experience to a course topic. Once a week, a small team of teachers met during a prep period to discuss classroom issues. What made these meetings so successful was the formal, procedural format that was followed, assigned roles, and supervision. At each meeting, at least one administrator was in attendance. The role of the administrator was to facilitate the meeting and oversee that procedures were being followed. Although, an added bonus I found was that it kept the administrators involved in what was

directly happening the classroom. One teacher each meeting was selected to present an issue he/she was having in class. The main objective of the meetings was to collaborate on various solutions to the teachers issue. I found these meetings to be helpful for teachers in devising new ideas to create successful classrooms for learning. However, it taught teachers good collaboration skills at the same time. By following a specific model for procedures, teachers were able to discuss constructively and openly. I could also see this model being used across various other meetings teachers may have in school. The frequency of the meetings gave teachers practice in the collaborative meeting procedures, so that when they meet in less formal settings, they tend to follow similar procedures naturally. Collaboration and teaming is a huge part of teaching. As special education teachers, I believe we do this quite naturally. We cannot do our jobs without collaborating with other special educators, general educators, related service providers, and families. Collaboration happens on a daily basis in this field. Strong collaboration skills opens up more learning opportunities for students and creates stronger teams, whether the team is departmentalized or across departments. It creates relationships that benefit the entire school. Looking back at all of my practicum experiences, I am proud to be able to say that the vast majority of my experiences have been positive, with strong, open collaboration between teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, and related service providers. I have learned many strategies to facilitate positive collaboration that make me a stronger teacher. These skills will be useful throughout my entire career; however, especially as I begin to embark on this new chapter.