Running head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Lyssa Heath
Regent University
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Introduction
Communication and collaboration among teachers and parents are critical aspects of a

successful classroom. Just as a child has many facets to their personality, their education also has

many different partnerships that must coexist together in order for the student to have the

necessary support that they need to succeed in their education. As a team, teachers and parents

are able to work together to find strategies and solutions that will best support their student.

Collaboration among teachers is also significant as teachers share resources, educational

experiences, and insights. “Teacher collaboration with students, families, and colleagues is

essential to create conditions for learning” (Collay, 2013).

Rationale
The first artifact I included is a letter that I wrote to a parent who had concerns about his

child being bullied by a classmate. On the day I received the letter, my cooperating 5th grade

teacher was scheduled off and I was working with a substitute for the day. I did not know how to

address the situation at first, so I spoke with two other fifth grade teachers before getting into

contact with my cooperating teacher for her input. They all helped me write the letter in a

professional manner and instructed me on the other actions that I needed to take (refer the

student to counselor and monitor the situation between the students).

The second artifact is a “Meet the Teacher” introductory letter that I created for my

second placement in a 2nd grade classroom. I started this placement the week that the first

progress reports were sent out and a week before parent-teacher conferences. I was able to meet

with most the parents face to face, introduce myself and sit in on the meetings with my

cooperating teacher which was a very enlightening lesson. I observed how the teacher used test

scores and copies of the student’s previous work to create a picture of the student’s growth and
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what areas that they needed to focus on. Since I have not had much experience with conferences

at my previous job, I was able to understand the needed for collaboration and communication

both with parents and teachers. I also included my notes from these conferences with the area of

focus that the cooperating teacher and parents collaborated to focus on.

Reflection of Theory and Practice

Before experiencing and creating these artifacts, I would have considered myself more of

an “island” when it came to communication and collaboration among colleagues. In my past

experiences I experienced such a lack of professionalism with my coworkers that I instead relied

on just my own understanding and skills. After experiencing effective and true collaboration in

both of my placements however, I have seen how much teachers need to work together to teach

successfully. Reeves, Pun and Chung (2017) write, “Incorporating collaboration has the potential

to reduce feelings of isolation, which in combination with other organization changes that are

needed to support effective collaboration, could contribute to interdependent increases in student

achievement, teacher job satisfaction, and teacher confidence.” Not only are educators able to

work together to help improve students’ abilities but also their own job skills.

Open communication with parents has also been one of my weakness in teaching, but

after my experiences with both of my practicum teachers I have seen the blessing that

establishing relationships with parents at the beginning of the year can bring. “The sharing (of)

information and opinions about children’s experiences, cultures, and ways of learning in the

process of their education, teachers and families can provide children with better learning

opportunities” (Yoo-Seon, 2018). When teachers and parents work together, they are able to

bridge the child’s learning between home and school. Teachers are able to understand and

incorporate a student’s home culture in a way that is respectful and meaningful while parents can
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reinforce concepts or give additional aid at home. Parents and teachers are also able to share

troubling incidents or observations in the boundaries of an already established respectful

relationship without fear of judgment or hasty reactions. Communication and collaboration are

truly essential qualities of a highly-effective teacher.

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References
Collay, M. (2013). Teaching Is Leading. Educational Leadership, 71(2), 72–76. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&A

N=90424732&site=ehost-live

Reeves, P. M., Pun, W. H., & Chung, K. S. (2017). Influence of teacher collaboration on job

satisfaction and student achievement. Teaching & Teacher Education, 67, 227–236.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.016

Yoo-Seon Bang. (2018). Parents’ Perspectives on How Their Behaviors Impede Parent–Teacher

Collaboration. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 46(11), 1787–

1799. https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.2224/sbp.7270