Running Head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Jianna Doxey

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2019

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2

Introduction

Effective communication and collaboration provide evidence of communication with

students, parents, guardians, families, and professionals within the school and community. It also

provides evidence of collaboration between individuals relating to the knowledge and undergoing of

education throughout the school and community. This communication and collaboration between

such individuals is important in seeking the upmost success of children, their life skills, and their

knowledge.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

Artifact One is a letter, poem, and note of a video. This letter I printed out and hand wrote

each student’s name and signed my name. This was important to me to show my appreciation to

them for being apart of my life and trusting me with apart of theirs. I read the letter aloud to both

classes combined as they had their own and made sure they knew I meant every word. I read the

poem after reading the letter to tie in our current poetry unit with my last goodbye. I wanted to do

something fun and creative, but still be sentimental. I also sent a video to my cooperating teacher

for the following Monday after placement for the students to watch so that they know I really have

not forgotten about them and how much they mean to me. I also want to be sure that their day goes

as normal as possible with them having to get used to me not being there again.

Artifact Two is a letter I sent my second placement cooperating teacher to send home with

students for them and their families introducing myself. This was sent home the Thursday before

my placement. Knowing that the parents of this class are very involved I wanted to make sure they

knew me, my excitement, and my reasoning for being in their child’s classroom.

Artifact Three is a series of notes that I took during my last week in placement one. I was

able to observe four classrooms. Throughout my observations, I was able to see a lot of repetition in

teaching styles, some school wide, as well as a lot of classroom and behavior management. As
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possible and fit, the teachers took time to point out different things they do, as well as allow me to

explore materials throughout their classroom.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

As far as my knowledge gained from classes at Regent, I have learned that communication

is valuable in not only the classroom with students, but with their parents or guardians, other staff

members, and administration. I have also learned the value of keeping data of all communication.

Effective communication with students has proven better instruction. Against the traditional

teacher student method, “Instructors being more empathic and accepting students’ needs might lead

to more appropriate and efficient communication and better learning outcomes” (Notzer,

Abramovitz, 2010). These include say in curriculum. It is shown that students may have cultural

backgrounds to which they do not feel is approached appropriately and fairly in school. The

conflicts within that communication are not purposely overlooked but undermined that students do

not have a say in communication, curriculum, or lessons. This leads into the “immediacy [that]

behaviors [positive and negative] also promote attention to classroom lessons by arousing student

interest [or disinterest]” (Bolkan, Goodboy, Myers, 2017).

Along with communication and collaboration with students, their parents and guardians are

equally important. Student’ learning starts at home with their parents, so communication from the

beginning about grade level expectations, school expectations, and teacher expectations. I have also

loved the idea of a phone call to parents within the first week of school just to introduce and check

in. It shows parents you care from the beginning and allows them to know the open line of

communication, being that most open houses are not until after the first month of school. “The

effectiveness of communication between teachers and parents, in terms of student achievement and

attendance, [also] has a great importance. Effective communication provides achievement and

improvement by providing support to parents, students, teachers, and schools and promoting

appropriate environments.” (Osmen, Akuzum, Zincirli, Selcuk, 2016). Benefits are beyond between
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teachers, schools, and parents when effective and constant communication and collaboration are

intact.
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References

Bolkan, S., Goodboy, A. K., & Myers, S. A. (2017). Conditional processes of effective instructor

communication and increases in students’ cognitive learning. Communication Education,

66(2), 129–147. https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1080/03634523.2016.1241889

Notzer, N., & Abramovitz, R. (2010). Faculty-development activity to promote effective

communication between instructors and students. Clinical Teacher, 7(2), 121–125.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1111/j.1743-498X.2010.00340.x

Ozmen, F., Akuzum, C., Zincirli, M., & Selcuk, G. (2016). The Communication Barriers between

Teachers and Parents in Primary Schools. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research

(EJER), (66), 27–46. https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.14689/ejer.2016.66.2