When an educator commits to a co-teaching relationship with another teacher, what does that mean? How can two educators come together to create effective communication and collaboration in order to achieve success for all learners? This question may befuddle teachers who have always been solo educators in their classroom, but in my experience, teachers who strive for positive communication and collaboration, and develop a plan to work together as a team always come out on top. 

Many of us communicate with people every day, whether in person or digitally, but how much of our communication actually reaches the intended audience or person the way we hoped? Effective communication requires us to be clear and concise in what we are trying to express. Effective communication is key when developing a novice co-teaching relationship, and is necessary for the apprentice and master ICT teams, too. With great communication, comes effective collaboration even with the most challenging ICT schedules and/or students. Being an effective communicator in our professional (and personal) lives involves learning the skills to exchange information with clarity, empathy, and understanding. 

What does effective communication and collaboration look and sound like?

Effective communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose. When we communicate effectively, both the sender and receiver feel satisfied. Effective collaboration is using positive and constructive communication to develop an idea from two or more perspectives in order to achieve a common goal. When the two pieces come together, educational harmony can be achieved. As you continue to read on, I will share suggestions and strategies of implementing communication and collaboration for the ICT classroom.

Choose a Time to Meet, Discuss, and Plan (and Stick to it).

This is the hardest part for almost all the ICT teams I support. There is always a change to the weekly schedule - a meeting, an assembly, a student who is having a challenging day, but no matter what, this is crucial for successful communication and collaboration between two or more educators. Try using a weekly tracker to pinpoint lessons, activities, ICT models, and student groups. Keep it simple and use it as a guide to make learning happen in a manner that meets the needs of varied learners, while nurturing student curiosities. See below for an example tracker.

Reflect!

Reflection is a form of pedagogy that is necessary for a successful teaching relationship. When we reflect, we think about what went well (glows) and what needs improvements (grows). For ICT educators this step is key for effective communication and collaboration. See below for a form that can help you and your co-teacher achieve high levels of ICT success.

Develop A Common Vision.

When two adults with great ideas and a strong passion to develop, nourish, and support all students in their classroom come together, how do they choose a common vision using proactive communication and collaboration? At times, this can be challenging, but try this suggestion below. You will be amazed by the outcome!

• Find 30 minutes of uninterrupted time

• Grab paper and your favorite writing utensil

• Set a timer for 15 minutes, then write your personal teaching philosophy

• When the timer ends, come together to share your writing. Next, determine similarities between the writing pieces. 

• Choose a note taker and a speaker and rewrite your educational philosophy as a team. This is when the magic happens.

• Reread your writing piece and smile!

If this topic is of interest to you and you would like to learn more about positive communication and collaboration to support ICT educators in your school or district, check out our website www.cmdi.us  to set up a free discovery call.