University of Canterbury Collaboration Workshop: EDEM682W - Transforming Education in Canterbury

I have been undertaking this course by part time study this year, and have loved the learning involved!  Talking with teachers and leaders from other schools has been refreshing and reassuring...many of us have gone through the highs and challenges of working collaboratively. The collaboration strategies others have shared have been really helpful, along with my learning e.g.
* Identify your partner's strengths and values (e.g. using the Hermann brain model)

* Identify and clear on your own values, strengths and challenges

* Identify shared goals, e.g., for my colleague and I this year, that has been wellbeing and behaviour

* Use humour 

* Don't sweat the small stuff - choose what matters most and discuss that first

* Establish and stick to tight meeting times e.g. 15min daily catchups

* Establish clear and agreed strategies for behaviour management, including special measures / strategies for those with additional needs

* Keep a dot point journal of next steps / points agreed (I am a list writer!)

* Discuss student outcomes and next steps daily

* Keep the communication open. This has been challenging this year, as we have taught in two separate rooms 

* Celebrate the successes (Doig 2015) - e.g. Happy, engaged and achieving students!

Pratt (2014) identifies that establishing new partnerships requires storming (identifying, sharing values; strengths etc) norming (developing shared systems, ways of working together effectively) and performing (leveraging on each others' skills and strengths, and achieving improved learning conditions and outcomes for students). It has been really reassuring to know that the transitions involved with these phases are normal! 

Some professionals from other schools noted using a skills assessment (e.g. the Hermann Whole Brain Model) or a survey (e.g. see the Collaboration Continuum from Tamara Bell (2015) http://www.vln.school.nz/file/view/939355/working-collaboratively-continuum). Many also highlighted the importance of professional reading or school workshops on how to have challenging conversations.

For further information, see: 

*Brinkmann, J. and Twiford, T. (2012)  Voices from the Field: Skill Sets Needed for Effective Collaboration and Co-Teaching. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 7(3) 

*Doig, C. (2014)  Collaboration Matters

Retrieved from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2014/07/collaboration-matters.html

*Indelicato, J. (2014) How to Build an Effective Co-teaching Relationship between Teachers (Master Science Education Thesis, Dominican University of California, USA)

*Pratt, S. (2014) Achieving symbiosis: Working through challenges found in co-teaching to achieve effective co-teaching relationships. Teaching and Teacher Education 41, 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2014.02.006