Teaming with Colleagues for Student Success

Author: Dr. Marla J. Lohmann, CEC-FBSO Caucus Chair

Teaching can be a lonely and isolating profession sometimes. As teachers, we have a tendency to plan our lessons and then close our classroom door to implement those lessons with little worry about what is happening in the other classrooms around us. I have heard the quote that “teaching is the second most private thing you will ever do.” In my experience, that is true. However, we know that we are better teachers when we work as a team. And as Special Education teachers, we are often required to collaborate with other teachers; it is in both our best interests and the best interests of students to improve our collaboration skills. Thankfully, there are a few evidence-based practices for successful collaboration with other teachers.

Evidence-Based Practices for Successful Teacher Collaboration

• Know your personality types and collaboration styles and consider the differences between one another
• Discuss your teaching preferences, including philosophy of teaching and classroom management
• Determine each person's responsibilities for ensuring that student needs are met
• Have regular communication with your colleagues

First, you should become familiar with your own personality type and collaboration style, as well as that of your colleagues. During collaborative efforts, be cognizant of the differences (Bos & Vaughn, 2006; Griffin, Kilgore, Winn, & Otis-Wilborn, 2008). It can be beneficial for all parties involved in the collaborative relationship to take an assessment such as the Myers-Briggs to best understand each person’s personality and the ways that the team members best work with others.

A second evidence-based practice is for teachers to have conversations about their own teaching preferences. They should discuss their personal teaching philosophies, preferred classroom management styles, and any pet peeves they have that might impact their teaching and their responses to the instruction of a colleague (McLaren, Bausch, & Ault, 2007; White & Mason, 2006). When we better understand one another, we are more likely to be sensitive to one another’s preferences. Throughout the school year, we should come back to this conversation to see how things have changed and if both of our preferences are being addressed in the collaborative relationship.

Once we have shared our teaching preferences with one another, we need to decide how we will share responsibilities for student instruction. This is especially important in co-teaching relationships, but it is also important for any teachers who share the teaching responsibilities for the same students (Bos et al., 2006; Snyder, Garriott, & Aylor, 2001). The research suggests that the best option is to share the responsibilities for grading the work of Special Education students and, in the case of co-teachers, to share the responsibility of whole-class and small-group instruction (Meadan & Monda-Amaya, 2008; Snyder et al., 2001).

A final evidence-based practice for effective collaboration between teachers is the use of regular, planned communication with your colleagues (Griffin et al., 2008; McLaren et al., 2007). This can take the form of 20-minute weekly meetings to discuss student concerns and plan lesson modifications, daily communication logs that the student brings to each teacher, frequent email communications, and an open-door policy when concerns arise (Hogan, Lohmann, & Champion, 2013).

Utilizing the strategies listed, both General Education and Special Education teachers, as well as other professionals in the school, can increase their likelihood of successful collaboration, and therefore, student success.

References

Bos, C. S., & Vaughn, S. (2006). Strategies for teaching students with learning and behavior problems. Boston: Pearson.

Griffin, C.C., Kilgore, K.L.., Winn, J. A., & Otis-Wilborn, A. (2008). First-year special educators’relationships with their general education colleagues. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35(1), 141- 157.

Hogan, K.A., Lohmann, M.J., & Champion, C.R. (Spring/Summer, 2013). Effective inclusion strategies for professionals working with students with disabilities. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 27-41.

McLaren, E. M., Bausch, M. E., & Ault, M. J. (2007). Collaboration strategies reported by teachersproviding assistive technology services. Journal of Special Education Technology, 22(4), 16-29.

Meadan, H., & Monda-Amaya, L. (2008). Collaboration to promote social competence for students with mild disabilities in the general classroom: A structure for providing support. Intervention in School and Clinic, 43(3), 158-167.

Snyder, L., Garriott, P., & Aylor, M. W. (2001). Inclusion confusion: Putting the pieces together. Teacher Education and Special Education, 24, 198-207.

White, M., & Mason, C. Y. (2006). Components of successful mentoring program for beginning special education teachers: Perspectives from new teachers and mentors. Teacher Education and Special Education, 29, 191-201.

Dr. Marla J. Lohmann is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Colorado Christian University. She can be contacted at MLohmann@ccu.edu.

The Power of Prayer

Author: Dr. Marla J. Lohmann, CEC-FBSO Caucus Chair

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to teach at a faith-based university. In particular, I’ve been thinking about how it changes my role as a teacher educator. Until coming to work at Colorado Christian University last summer, almost all of my experiences had been in public, secular institutions. This year has shown me the change that faith makes in my career.

While faith impacts every aspect of teaching, I am seeing the biggest difference in terms of prayer. About once a week, I receive a phone call or email from a student asking me to pray about a situation in his/her life. The students are not asking for assignment extensions or easier grading, but just for prayer. I’ve even had a student call me to ask if we can pray together for some struggles she was facing in her life. Being a Prayer Warrior for students has changed the way that I interact with them. It has allowed me to know them on a more personal level. It reminds me on a daily basis of their humanity. Teaching fully online can be impersonal for both students and teachers, but prayer changes that. While I love many aspects of teaching at a faith-based university, prayer is my favorite part!

Dr. Marla J. Lohmann is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Colorado Christian University. She can be contacted at MLohmann@ccu.edu.

June 2016 CEC-FBSO Newsletter

Welcome to summer, CEC-FBSO members. After a busy spring, I hope that you will all take time to rest and rejuvenate over the next few months. For many of our members, the summer is a time away from the school setting.

However, as well all know, that does not mean that we are not working. Summer can be a great time to read and learn on a new topic and to network with other professionals in the field.

The CEC Faith-Based School and Organizations Caucus has a goal of helping our members achieve both of those goals. But, we can’t do it without your help. We need to know who you are and how you would like to connect with others. Please reach out to us.

Thank you to everyone who has completed the online interest survey. So far, we have only had a few responses, but once we get some more, we will begin connecting CEC-FBSO members who have similar interests.

We are also looking for caucus members who are willing to share their faith-career integration stories or their knowledge of evidence-based practices for upcoming newsletters. Please let us know via the survey how you would like to be more involved.

Teaming with Parents for Student Success

Author: Dr. Marla J. Lohmann, CEC-FBSO Caucus Chair

As special educators, we are always looking for ways to help our students be successful, both in the classroom and in the outside world. According to the research, one of the most effective practices for this is building collaborative relationships with parents (Epstein & Hollifield, 1996), which involves more than simple parental involvement in the school (Epstein, 2010). Collaborative relationships between families and schools benefit children in a variety of ways, including (a) increasing student academic achievement (Wang & Sheikh-Khalil, 2014), (b) increased student school attendance (Sheldon & Epstein, 2004), (c) decreased behavior challenges (Wang & Sheikh-Khalil, 2014), and (d) an increased school climate (Epstein, 2002). In addition, teaming with parents can reduce teacher workloads (Epstein, 2002). Who doesn’t want that!

While we know that teaming with parents is critical, doing so can be harder than it sounds! The good news, though, is that there are some evidence-based practices for enhancing partnerships with parents. These practices include (a) welcoming parents, (b) becoming culturally competent, (c) viewing parents as partners, (d) regular parent communication, and (e) being flexible in the process of collaboration. These practices are outlined in more detail in the table below.

Evidence-Based Practices for Teaming with Parents

• Welcome Parents: When parents arrive at school, say hello and take the time to talk to them about their children and about the school. Call parents and invite them to school events or meet them at their car after school to invite them to come inside.


• Become Culturally Competent: Learn about the cultures of the students/families in your school. Discover the cultural norms and expectations. Learn about the holidays. Learn how families from that culture like to work with schools/teachers – you may find that the family’s culture views their role in the education process differently than you view their role.


• View Parents as Partners: Ask parents for their input on educational decisions, particularly IEP goals and student placement decisions. The input of families should have a significant impact on the decisions that are made at IEP meetings. Ask parents to tell you their short-term and long-term goals for their child – be sure that the educational decisions that are made will help the child to eventually achieve those goals.


• Regular Parent Communication: Establish a system for regular parent communication. Ideas might include a daily notebook that goes from home to school, emails to parents a few times a week, weekly phone calls to parents, talking to parents when they pick up their children from school, and quarterly scheduled meetings. Be sure that communication with parents includes both positives and negatives. A good rule is 5 compliments about their child to every concern/negative statement.


• Be Flexible: Your partnership with each family will look different. Be flexible in your formation of these partnerships and be willing to make each one unique. Also, be willing to change the partnership based on the needs of the student and family.

While this list may look daunting, making the time to implement a few of these strategies will have a significant impact on your relationships with the parents in your classrooms and the success of your students.

References

Arllen, N.L., Cheney, D., & Warger, C. (1997). Recapturing the promise of a future imperiled: Ways tomake community-based collaboration work. In L.M. Bullock, R.A. Gable (Eds.), Highlights from the National Invitational Conference on children with severe emotional disturbances and theirfamilies: Making collaboration work for children, youth, families, schools, and communities. (p.39-43), Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Bryan, J., & Henry, L. (2008). Strengths-based partnerships: A school-family-community partnership approach to empowering students. Professional School Counseling, 12(2), 149-156.

Epstein, J. L. (2010). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(3), 81-96.

Epstein, J. L., & Hollifield, J. H. (1996). Title I and school-family-community partnerships: Using research to realize the potential. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 1(3), 263-278.

Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M.G., Simon, B.S., Salinas, K, C, Jansorn, N. R., & VanVoorhis, F. L. (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. Office of Educational Research and Improvement: Washington, D.C.

Hands, C. (2005). It’s who you know and what you know: The process of creating partnerships between schools and communities. School Community Journal, 15(2), 63-84.

Rothengast, A. (2016). Partnerships with parents transformed our school climate. Leadership, 45(5), 8-11.

Sheldon, S. B., & Epstein, J. L. (2004). Getting students to school: Using family and involvement to reduce chronic absenteeism. School Community Journal, 14(2), 39-56.

Wang, M., & Sheikh-Khalil, S. (2014). Does parental involvement matter for student achievement and mental health in high school? Child Development, 85(2), 610-625.

Dr. Marla J. Lohmann is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Colorado Christian University. She can be contacted at MLohmann@ccu.edu.

Teacher Preparation in a Christian University

Author: Dr. Bush White

It was great seeing everyone at CEC in April. I want to take time to encourage all of you to become involved in FBSO; I believe this to be a valuable aspect of CEC.

As a Christian, I see students with disabilities as another opportunity to see how God reveals sovereignty in his creation. God says we’re powerfully and wonderfully made; God does not make mistakes regardless of the disability of a student.

As a teacher educator it is my responsibility to help our candidates see their all of their students as an opportunity to make a difference. The Biblical worldview provides us a way to make a difference in the lives of students and their families. Children with disabilities are not a mistake, but like all children, they are a gift.

We need to educate the new teacher pool that there is a spiritual approach to working with students with disability. Though many may see them as flawed, God does not. This is our mission field. A verse to describe this mission is: This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes (Psalms 118: 23).

At CCU we emphasize the importance of see every child as God created them.

Dr. Bush White is the Director of Graduate Education Programs at Colorado Christian University. He can be contacted at bbwhite@ccu.edu.

CEC Convention Recap

Author: Dr. Marla J. Lohmann, CEC-FBSO Caucus Chair

Thank you to everyone who attended the CEC-FBSO caucus meeting or stopped by the booth at the CEC Convention last month. It was really great to meet so many of you. I am so excited for the enthusiasm that many of you have for integrating faith and our careers and I loved hearing your stories regarding how your faith impacts what you do every day! It was inspiring! I am really excited to serve as the Chair for the CEC-FBSO caucus this upcoming year and am looking forward to hearing all of your ideas.

And, I am thrilled to be publishing our first monthly newsletter. Based on our meeting at CEC, the plan is that these newsletters will include articles on evidence-based practices, personal stories about integrating faith and career, and resources for faith-based special educators. I would love for each of you to consider contributing articles for the newsletter. As a recap from the CEC Convention, here are our goals and dreams for the future:

1. Attendees felt that it is not important that their school is faith-based, but that they as individuals are guided by faith in their career choices and their daily lives.
2. Attendees would like FBSO to be a way to connect with other SPED professionals who are guided by faith.
3. Attendees would love FBSO to be a resource for some evidence-based practices, particularly the research being done by other caucus members.
4. Attendees would like to work together to create a list of good resources about faith-based education.
5. University faculty would like to work together to do research regarding faith-based SPED.
6. Attendees would like the caucus meeting next year to be about a 15-minute meeting and then spend the rest of the time on mini-presentations from members on their research.
7. Attendees would like a monthly email newsletter that can also be posted on the CEC-FBSO blog.
8. Attendees would like to see faith-based sessions at CEC.
9. Some attendees would like to help at the booth in the CEC Convention exhibit hall next year. One attendee asked if we could have a “prayer request” jar at the table. Attendees feel like becoming a more visible caucus will help growth. They feel that this can be accomplished through many of the items on this list.
10. Attendees feel like becoming a more visible caucus will help growth. They feel that this can be accomplished through many of the items on this list.