School Collaboration is Calling You

Collaboration is Calling YOU!

BY MARY L. CRABTREE, PH.D.

Trauma…the word brings up so much emotion! As a teacher, I think about how it affects my students, the things from which they have suffered, and the baggage it has left behind. I recognize what it has done to the psyche, and how that then leads to classroom behavior, school performance, and relationship issues both in and out of school. And sometimes, I’ll be honest, I even feel a bit traumatized by the trauma of my students! Their lives are hard, their stories are devastating, and their recovery incomplete. It not only makes me sad, but I also feel a sense of suffering for them.

The question is, how do I help myself so I can help them? Where do I find the resources I need to be “well,” while at the same time using resources that are available to help my students on their journey to wellness, and balance all of that with the idea that I’m supposed to be teaching content to these same students? The answer, maybe not surprisingly, is through collaboration. I do not think this is just something a teacher can do; I think it is applicable to administrators, too.

One of the most important collaborators in my life is the co-teacher who works with me in our classroom. This person has provided many opportunities for me to watch how interactions with traumatized students can begin as contentious and end in a productive outcome for the student, without compromising on the basic principles of the teacher or disrupting classes. By modeling the idea that the student’s needs come first and reminding me that teacher “wants” are secondary, the co-teacher regularly shows how to deescalate a situation, creating a safe space for all students, a peaceful transition from a difficult situation, and a productive outcome in terms of learning. I can’t say enough about the idea of co-teaching as a model for collaboration, because it is through that collaboration that I have learned how to better support the students who have experienced trauma, how to understand and meet their needs, and how to teach content, all while still providing an emotionally supportive environment.

Principals may not have co-teachers, but they have a variety of support staff around them. Some of them even have assistant principals. Support staff know the people and students who the principal must work with, and they often can offer insights to the

principal to better assist with making and maintaining relationships. In a supportive, collaborative relationship, the principal can gain and use this information to provide the best support for staff, and more importantly, understand issues that might prevent them from doing their best work.

Additionally, these support staff often have insights into student issues, are members of the community and have community knowledge that is useful, and are informed about a variety of issues that can highlight solutions that might not be considered if collaboration is not sought. Principals do not have to operate on their own. If they build collaborative relationships with the people who support them, they have a whole team to help support the work they do.

Another important collaboration is my work with our guidance counselor. This person has a much more intimate view of our students and additional insight into their lives because of the kind of work she does with them. While I do have relationships with students, they tend to share more details with her, and this can be invaluable when they are experiencing difficult times that manifest themselves as behaviors in my classroom. During these times, my first call is always to our counselor, to determine if there are traumarelated issues that I need to understand, to gain better insight into the student’s life, to determine the best way to manage the behavior, and to make inroads toward positive behavior changes. The counselor, knowing that I want this information also keeps me informed when student issues arise, thus helping me to head off potential classroom problems even before they arise.

I am sure every principal knows just how much of a collaboration asset a guidance counselor can be. From scheduling to discipline, from support to a parent and student advocate, the guidance counselor can be the principal’s best asset in managing student behavior, aiding staff in discipline decisions, and connecting and communicating with parents. Looking at the guidance counselor as a collaborator can provide a much-needed ally with even the most difficult student decisions that arise.

“No matter what the position, teacher or principal, no matter what the problem, issue, or student that you are facing, collaboration can aid in finding just the right solution.”

The final collaboration that can’t be overlooked is that of colleagues. As a teacher, I rely on other teachers to be a sounding board for my wacky new ideas. I love to brainstorm with them, think of the most inventive things, and then sound out how they might go to determine if they will really work. There are many things I think sound amazing, but after discussing them with colleagues, I modify them, to make them more classroom-friendly. These discussions are always beneficial and create a collaboration that not only benefits me, but they allow my colleagues to take away ideas that might work in their classrooms as well.

Colleagues are also great collaborators when it comes to solving problems with students. Let’s face it, not every student acts the same in every class. If I have a student that is not responding well in my class, but I see them working well in another colleague’s class, I want to know what they do. I want to know how they manage that behavior, so I can try to move that student forward in my class. Talking with colleagues and learning their techniques can help me see how I can apply those things in my classroom to improve student learning opportunities.

As the only one who is in charge, principals often feel isolated and alone in a building trying to make things work. And even though they have a team of support staff, and perhaps an assistant principal, no one in the building is in the same position as they are. It is important for these principals to build a collaborative team of principals upon whom they can lean on when they have questions, need a little guidance, or just need to talk through a situation. These colleagues can come from within the district where the principal works or from joining a group like OAESA, where principals are easily within reach to share ideas, collaborate, and find solutions to problems.

No matter what the position, teacher or principal, no matter what the problem, issue, or student that you are facing, collaboration can aid in finding just the right solution. Some people might say that if you have to collaborate with others, you are not as competent in your job as you should be; however, it is my experience that only the most competent are confident enough to reach out to collaborators and learn.

Dr. Mary Crabtree teaches 7th grade English/Language Arts and is an avid reader. She also provides adjunct teaching services for Concordia University and serves on several dissertation committees.