Running Head: COLLABORATION

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Carly Assaid
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

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Introduction

Collaboration is defined as the ability to "work jointly with others or together especially
in an intellectual endeavor" (Merriam-Webster, 2015). The concepts of collaboration and
communication are vital to the overall success of a school. Both elements are necessary in
creating a well-balanced learning environment. Administration, teachers, students, parents, and
the community should make the practice of effective communication a top priority in the world
of education.
Rationale
For my artifacts, I chose a parent letter and the collaboration outlines for math and
language arts. These two items represent the communication that occurs between different levels
of the school community. The parent letter is representative of the communication that takes
place between the teacher and the parents, while the collaboration outline is representative of the
communication that takes place between the teachers and the specialists (math and language
arts). I feel that these artifacts clearly reveal a desire to bridge the communication gap between
the multiple parties involved in the public school system.
Mrs. Kelly's parent letter displayed a willingness to share all that is taking place in the
classroom. It is written in a very informative, easy to understand manner that provides parents
with important information concerning their child's education. The letter gives an overview of
objectives that are being taught, specific due dates for certain assignments, and any other
miscellaneous information. A parent letter is a simple, yet effective means in which to
communicate with parents; it shows them a caring spirit that only wants what is best for the
students. While it is not the only means, a letter home to parents certainly accomplishes the need
for communication between home and school.

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Every Wednesdays during the students' P.E. time, my grade level meets with the
specialists (math one week, language arts the next) to discuss various topics. These topics are all
listed on the outline and include SOL standards and objectives, school-wide data, curriculum,
and lesson planning. The co-lab meeting is a time to express ideas, questions, and concerns when
it comes to anything math and language arts related. During these meetings I have witnessed
bright ideas being shared, powerful lessons being planned, and breakthroughs in understanding. I
have also seen, on the other hand, a lack of preparedness and confusion. Although the outcome
of the meeting may not be perfect each week, which is the main reason these meetings exist.
True success does not always come on the first try; success takes purposeful practice. It is this
kind of practice that occurs during a co-lab meeting.
Reflection
My time at Woodstock Elementary, as well as my coursework at Regent, has taught me
that communication and collaboration are a must in the world of teaching. In all my classes at
Regent, cooperative learning was a learning technique that was used consistently. The various
cooperative learning activities enforced the concept of collaboration. This technique was used so
much in order to emphasize its importance when teaching elementary age children.
Two minds are always better than one; therefore, working together with others who
share a common goal is bound to yield exciting results. Melinda Burns states this interesting fact
when discussing the positive effects of teacher collaboration: "A large body of research shows
that mandatory teacher collaboration, sometimes called 'professional learning communities,' gets
results. The world's best school systems foster a culture of sharing what works and what doesn't"
(2011). Ultimately, the success of the students is at hand. It is imperative that teachers do
everything they can to see their students shine. Personally, I am an individual who would much

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rather work with others; therefore, the idea of collaboration is very appealing to me. I plan to
make the most out of each future co-lab meeting I may be a part of so that I will, in turn, get the
most out of it.
I was very impressed by Mrs. Kelly's parent letter, and could see how it would be a
very effective means of communicating with the parents of her students. Along with the letters,
Mrs. Kelly also makes frequent phone calls to parents to inform them of their child's progress.
Observing these acts of communication has challenged me to be a teacher that communicates. I
want the parents of my students to know that I truly care about the well-being and education of
their child. I want to ensure that I take the time to invest in the lives of my students so that they
become, overall, well-rounded individuals. Rick Lavoie in his article, "The Teacher's Role in
Home/School Communication: Everybody Wins," explains the expectations of today's parents
when it comes to home/school communication: "They view themselves as 'consumers of
educational services' and they anticipate that they will be kept informed of the child's progress
and performance" (2015). Taking this mindset into consideration, teachers should be more than
willing to communicate to parents what takes place at school.
In conclusion, collaboration and communication working together will produce
awesome results. As a teacher, it is important to exercise both elements simultaneously in order
to be the most effective.

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References

Burns, M. (2011, August 22). Teacher collaboration gives schools better results. Retrieved
October 5, 2015, from http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/teachercollaboration-gives-schools-better-results-34270
Merriam-Webster. (2015). Collaborate. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from
http://i.word.com/idictionary/collaboration
Lavoie, R. (2008). The teacher's role in home/school communication: Everybody wins. Retrieved
October 5, 2015, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/28021/