Sarina Rizzo
Dr. Chandler
English 3029 Research in Language and Literature
17 December 2013
Communication and Collaboration among Co-teachers: A study on the
distinct features of communication leading to successful classroom management
in Pre-Kindergarten setting
The
education community is constantly implementing new ways of teaching in order to
benefit students and keep teachers successful in the classroom. Co-teaching is
a way of teaching that is constantly being evaluated on whether it has
advantages or disadvantages in the classroom. Communication, and language are
both key elements in successful classrooms between co-teachers. The features of
communication between co-teachers can either shape a successful or unsuccessful
learning environment. Using observations and interviews to get an inside look
at the world of co-teaching and communication, an analysis is written to
discuss the findings. “Communicating and Collaborating in Co-Taught
Classrooms" by Greg Conderman, Sarah Johnston-Rodriguez, and Paula
Hartman, is the basis for the study and the different collaborations
styles and features of communication will be applied to the data collected. The
suggestions given in this article will also be applied to the teachers observed
to uncover whether or not those features and suggestions translate into their
everyday line of work.
Literature Review
"Communicating
and Collaborating in Co-Taught Classrooms" by Greg Conderman, Sarah
Johnston-Rodriguez, and Paula Hartman discusses the challenges that
co-teachers face in the classroom, and different ways to identify their
communication styles. They begin with a series of questions that can be used to
help shape how the pair will communicate and work together. These questions
include "Are you willing to try something new? How many students in
our co-taught classroom have disabilities, are gifted, or are otherwise
exceptional? Can we sit down and share our responses on our inventory
assessment? How can we divide responsibilities so that will both benefit?"
(Conderman, 4) These questions build a basis for what kinds of things the two
teachers want to accomplish and how they will go about accomplishing
them.
Next, they moved into a
series of “during questions” that are important for making sure the classroom
is running efficiently. These questions include, “What are some
actions that one of us can do while the other is leading an activity or giving
a lecture? What nonverbal sign can we use to indicate that we need a quick
break? Do any student’s needs re-teaching, pre-teaching, or enrichment? What
can we do to create an environment that is accepting of all students?"
(Conderman, 4) Finally, after questions to consider included, "Have
we collected data to assess student performance and the effectiveness of
co-teaching? Is what we are doing good for both of us? How do you prefer
feedback, especially when one if us is not pleased? Would you do it all over
again?" (Conderman, 4)
When co-teaching it is
also important to be aware and respectful of each other's preferred mode of
communication. This allows mutual respect to be built and allows for collaboration
rather than assumptions and misunderstandings. It is obvious that
communication, and successful communication at that is essential for
co-teachers. The Golden Rule, and The Platinum Rule are brought up in this
article. Successful communication boils down to respect for one another.
"...effective communication is essential for co-teachers the challenge is
to communicate not in your preferred manner, but in the manner
preferred by your co-teacher. In other words, rather than the Golden
Rule (Do onto others as you would have them do onto you), co-teachers should
use the Platinum Rule (Treat others the way they want to be
treated).” (Conderman, 5)
Finally, there is a breakdown of
how to understand your co-teachers collaboration styles in 5 steps, and a list
of effective communication skills. The 5 steps for understanding the
collaboration style of your co-teacher are " a. be honest in
completing the assessments and sharing your preferences and needs with your
co-teacher; b. carefully and without judgment listen to your partner and
share his or her preferences and needs; c. compare and clarify information
related to each other's preferences, needs, and priorities; d. With the
information that you have learned about your co-teacher, monitor your verbal
and non-verbal behaviors during co-teaching efforts to see if they match your
partner's requests and needs; e. frequently reflect with your co-teacher
to assess whether either of you need to make changes in your communication or
collaborative approach." (Conderman, 7-8) The effective communication
skills are as follows: a. make sure your verbal and non-verbal signs
are congruent; b. use the appropriate communication tool for the
purpose "the paraphrase and summarization methods are used to check
understanding of factual information"; c. reflect on your motive for
confronting; d. consider when and how to confront caringly you
partner "in a relationship built upon genuine trust and respect,
partners can introduce concerns as merely another topic of conversation"; e.
allocate time to develop the relationship." (Conderman, 9-13)
Methods
This study
looks at how the features of communication and language among co-teachers in a
classroom affect the classroom environment and the classroom management. In
order to learn about the experiences that both teachers have in the classroom I
conducted a joint interview with both the head teacher and assistant teacher
present simultaneously. This interviewed served as a way to look at the dynamic
between the two when asked questions about how they teach and run the classroom
as a unit. I recorded and transcribed the interview conversation that myself,
the head teacher and the assistant teacher had in the hopes to uncover how the
two work together, and what features of communication are present in their
classroom. I also observed an entire day in their classroom. I watched the two
of them work together an actively participate in the classroom to define their
roles in the classroom and their roles as far as working with each other. I also
collected a lesson plan developed by the head teacher, and a sample student
record sheet of daily activities.
Categories Of Analysis
Of course there are many features of communication that can be
uncovered form both my transcript and my observation when looking at how the
two teachers communicate effectively. There are 2 categories that I am using
for my analysis to uncover the features of communication and how successful
classrooms evolve from such. The categories are the values that the co-teachers
both have and share, and the roles and responsibilities that they take on in
the classroom both actively and passively.
Analysis Of Transcript
The
interview conducted was an interview with the head teacher and assistant
teacher simultaneously. The purpose of interviewing the two together was to
also observe the dynamic between the two when they were asked the questions and
see how the both responded. The interview questions were as follows.
General Information Questions:
1. Where did you attend
college?
2. Did you receive a degree in education or did you choose
the alternate route option?
3. How long have you been
teaching?
4. What grades besides
pre-school are you experienced with?
5. What schools have you
taught at before?
6. Have you always been co-teaching
or have you been a single teacher before?
7. How long have you been at
this establishment/school?
Co-Teaching/Collaboration Questions:
1. Is this your first time in
a co-taught?
2. Have you learned anything
from working with a co-teacher?
3. Can you remember a time where you had a bad experience
working with or collaborating with a co-teacher?
4. Do you like being in an assistant position or do you
prefer to be in a different position in the classroom?
Lesson planning:
1. Who the sole planner
of the lessons for the students?
2. How do you consider your
each others in planning your lessons? what ways?
Classroom Management:
1. How do you consider the opinions of your co-teacher
when it comes to classroom management?
2. Can you describe the type of support that should be
present in a classroom with co-teachers?
Communication/Support:
1. How comfortable is your
communication with each other
2. How do
you both keep those lines of communications open?
3. Was there ever a time when communication was difficult?
(either between the two of you or past experiences)
4. How do you each communicate when you have a
different opinion or a concern that needs to be discussed?
5. Do you use any form of nonverbal communication?
A
few things to point out would be that the head teacher is far more experienced
than the assistant not only in her teaching experience but in her education as
well. The head teacher has 30 years of experience in the classroom as well as a
master’s degree along with her supervision license from Brooklyn College. The
assistant teacher became certified after high school and is holding 16 years of
experience teaching in various preschools. The values that the teachers had
were both different and similar in many ways. The head teacher at first made an
assumption that teachers need to have similar ideas and the assistant teacher
agreed. The two made it clear that having the same ideas and being able to use
each other’s ideas are what is important. The head teacher continued to
elaborate on how similar thinking is important which was interesting because as
she continued to elaborate on that, the assistant teacher kept translating that
into support and how supporting another teacher whom you work with is
important. When it came to discussing a time when a negative experience has
happened to either one, the assistant teacher was very passionate about a
negative experience that had to do with both respect and support in the
classroom. “…this is how we do it in here…” was what she said to whom she was
working with and this shows that the value of sticking to a consistent routine
and following what the head teacher does is important.
When
it came to scheduling the head teacher admitted to being the sole person
responsible for the planning and that their collaboration, or time to talk
would happen in the classroom. “…if when I you know come in…”. This shows that
the conversation seems to revolve around the head teacher and whenever she is
ready to ask for help. The two were very clear about their honesty with each
other. This verified that they both value their relationship and how they
communicate. When they were both asked about whether or not they disagreed with
each other at any point, their response was quick with a “No,” followed by
laughter. They clearly value not only their working relationship, but the
relationship that they have as friends. Both are comfortable with being honest
with each other, however, in the interview the head teacher was clear about
mentioning their personalities and how she viewed them. “….I
think our personalities…”. The assistant teacher followed with “yeah I believe we
are both very honest, I’ve seen many a time, “well my opinion is…”.” This
defined how the two collaborate and also value each other’s opinions. The head
teacher also clarified how they are friends and that translates into how they
define their friendship. “Even if we are talking about things that aren’t
related to the school, you know because we do, you know we are
friends.”
The
last thing that the pair valued was non-verbal communication. They both agreed
that they would be able to understand one another because of their relationship
and how well they understand each other.
Next
is identifying each other’s roles in the classroom. When the two were asked a
question about if they love what they do, both were eager to explain how they
felt. For example the head teacher’s response: “I love it, and I am very lucky
to be with my co-teacher, because we work extremely well together and we have
been since day one.” This defines their roles and explains how they both feel
in them. One thing that was noticeable in the next part of the interview was
the use of “I” from the head teacher. She was explaining how and when she
consults the assistant teacher when it comes to the planning process. “I basically
do all the planning…. when I’m stuck with something….Oh, Ill tell
her, I’ll, when I plan for the weeks, or the month or whatever I tell her what
we are doing what I would like to do, and then if she has any new ideas or
different ideas we bounce off of each other and that's what makes it
work..” This sample of quotes shows how the head teacher is mainly the one
making the plans and in charge. It is clear that she consults the assistant
teacher when it feels necessary for her, but what is very interesting to notice
is how in the last part, she switches the context from “I” to “we”. It is
almost as if she has the two roles separated, and then when the time is right,
the two roles come together as one.
Next
the assistant teacher commented on her role in the classroom. “yeah you have to
see how they work, then we worked together and you know I am here to
assist so and you know, I should be setting up things that need to be going
through the day..” This validates that the assistant knows what her job is
in the classroom. Her use of “they” refers to the head teachers. She seems to
comply with whatever the head teacher needs and knows that she should be
assisting rather than taking over the classroom. This mirrors the support that
two were valuing so much earlier in the interview.
When
talking about open communication and disagreeing, the two are quick to use “we”
and agree with each other. This shows that they do see equality in each other’s
positions and that they are again valuing each other’s responsibilities. Also
when it came to communicating with the parents, both teachers played and equal
role here. The head teacher again commented on how they both need to be on the
same page with the children to be able to both tell the parents the same thing
at different times. Since both teachers come and leave school at different
times, both need to be aware of each other and how they care going to mimic
each others communication styles. It seems that here they are adopting each other’s
ideas in order to have the same ones.
The
final area that defines their roles is honesty. When it came to talking about
open communication, both were confident in talking about hoe they are honest.
During this point in the interview the two were finishing each other’s
sentences. This shows that the two are comfortable with each other and are
clear on their ideals and values.
Finally, the identified their roles as teachers, but they got to a point
in the interview where they indentified themselves as friends. As said earlier
they are valuing this friendship that they have, and their communication is
able to transferred from not only the workplace, but into real life.
Analysis of Observation
The
observation in the classroom was very interesting. Beginning with the values,
both teachers valued discipline and support. There was a point in the day when
this was seen when the children were playing in centers. Both teachers were
engaging in addressing behavioral issues that some students were exhibiting. It
was interesting to see how they both responded to each other’s names. The next
area where their values were seen was when the teachers were engaging in a
conversation about a particular student’s progress. During this conversation
both teachers were talking and they were both listening to what the other had
to say. This validates that each teacher was valuing the other persons thoughts
and opinions. Another value that was exhibited by the assistant teacher was
support. There was a time in the day where the head teacher decided to do a mat
minute project with the class. The assistant teacher immediately knew what to
do to prepare without a conversation. The two displayed a sort of unsaid
communication where they were able to know what the other wanted and it was
executed properly. The final thing that the two valued was having a routine and
sticking to it. There were multiple occasions where each teacher was
responsible for something else in the classroom that added to the routine and
contributed to the flow of the day.
With
that being said, addressing the roles noticed in the classroom between the two
is important. The day began with the head teacher leading almost all of the
activities while the assistant was responsible for other duties within the
classroom. There was one specific time where watching the two work together was
so rewarding. It was a time when the students were working on academic work.
The head teacher began introducing every new topic and the assistant teacher
circulated the students and made sure they were staying on task. Since the
children were seated at two tables, each teacher situated themselves at one
table each to monitor a small group of students. Also during any conversation
the two had, there was no dominant person in either. You can see that they were
both treating each other as equals both in conversations and when it came to
addressing the children. What was interesting was being able to see the shift
between their roles happen so quickly in the classroom. They were able to go
from working together to doing separate tasks effortlessly.
Results and Data Connection
This study shows that there are multiple areas that the teachers
communicate in ways that successfully keep the classroom functioning
effortlessly. The first connection between both the interview and the
observation was the values of support between the teachers. They were both very
specific in claiming that supporting one another is important, but also seeing
that support in multiple interactions with the students is important as well.
Next, noticing that there is an unsaid communication connects to both the
communication and relationship that they two talked about in the interview.
Third, the two teachers also talked about their roles and how they know what
each other is responsible for. It was clearly seen in the observation that the
head teacher held more of the weight of the class while the assistant teacher
was responsible for different tasks in the classroom. Finally, there is a
connection seen in their conversations. They are able to hear one another out
clearly and also respond to each other quickly to keep the flow of the
classroom moving. The fact that they can communicate so effortlessly is what keeps
the two from entering any sort of confrontation.
Limitations of the study
The limitations of the study include the fact that I was not
able to observe more than one school day. If I was able to, I may have found
differences in their performance from day to day and would have been able to
compare their roles in the classroom from the two days. Also, I feel that along
with the double interview conducted, it would have been interesting to speak to
the two individually to see how their answers compare to further evaluate their
communication styles.
Conclusion
All in all, this study proves that communication in the
classroom leads to a successful classroom. If both teachers abide by support,
and understand each other’s leadership roles this will lead to both being able
to respect one another and communicate efficiently. Referring to the article in
the literature review, based on my research, I feel that it is safe to say that
the teachers are valuing the Platinum Rule, and executing characteristics from
the 5 steps of understanding collaboration styles. These two categories prove
that collaboration styles and learning about how to work with your co-teacher and
understanding that compromise is key will lead to successful work relationships
in the classroom.
Works Cited
Conderman, Greg, Sarah Johnston-Rodriguez, and Paula
Hartman. “Communicationg and Collaborating in Co-Taught Classrooms.” Teaching Exceptional Children Plus 5.5
(2009): 2-16. Education Research
Complete. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.
