Running head: EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Abigail May
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

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Introduction

The artifacts included in this competency are a curriculum map for the third
quarter of the school year, a screen shot of the Google drive for the kindergarten teachers
at Western Branch Primary, and my notes from a collaboration meeting. Each of these
artifacts represents the competency because they show evidence of communication and
collaboration with teachers in the school.
Rationale for Selection of Artifacts
The curriculum map is important for this competency because it has notes on it
from a collaboration meeting as well as being a tool given to all teachers in Chesapeake.
All of the kindergarten teachers use the same map, and they discuss any changes that will
be made in the schedule. This is the map I used to help me plan my lessons as I took over.
The kindergarten teachers at Western Branch Primary use Google drive to share
files for collaboration. Each teacher can access and edit the files and one teacher is in
charge of editing the file during collaboration meetings. The curriculum map mentioned
in the paragraph above is available through their shared files. I chose to include a screen
shot because I felt that this part of the collaboration process was important to show. The
screen shot shows what the teachers and I see and how comprehensive a collaboration
they have. I have used the files to help me plan even offering some ideas that were
included in one of the sections.
Lastly, I include notes from a collaboration meeting because I think it shows
exactly how I was able to take what I needed from the meeting so I could look ahead and
plan reflectively on what I would do. The notes are brief, but much of the meeting
discussed time I would not be at the school. Though I could have benefited from taking

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notes on the later weeks, I decided to focus on the time I would be there so that I could
make the most of the lessons I created.
Reflection on Theory and Practice
Working with grade level teachers is very important to the process of teaching. It
is the job of all grade level teachers to support each other. At the first collaboration
meeting at WBP I attended one of the teachers, in her second year teaching, informed me
she did not know about collaboration until she began teaching. To me, collaboration is
vital. One of the most significant things I learned at Regent University is the importance
of collaboration. From my early days as an education student, my professors talked about
how prominent and how necessary it was. Once, a professor even showed us a video of a
collaboration meeting and paused it for discussion regularly. The importance of
collaboration finally sank in after watching that video. Sharing ideas maintains a good
relationship with colleagues. To be a truly professional educatoryou will need to share
resources and materials, develop a common curriculum and possibly even co-teach a
class (Drosinos, 2014, p.74). Teachers must work together, even if they are not social.
Teachers need support, especially new teachers. It is important for an educator to
be prepared to function without collaboration, but collaboration is a great support for
many teachers. Often other teachers have ideas that another teacher would benefit from.
As a teacher, I will be prepared to have people share ideas with me, but I will also share
my own. Collaboration is a two way street, and everyone involved needs to contribute. It
is invigorating being in a meeting with teachers who genuinely want their colleagues to
succeed.

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References

Bigler, P., Doyle, S., & Drosinos, K. (2014). Teaching is tough!: A practical guide to
classroom success. Quicksburg, VA: Apple Ridge.