As part of improving my leadership capability, I am taking part in a Webinar with Mark Osborne on Collaboration and
Co-Teaching for the next 4 weeks. This is in preparation for 2021, as I will be working in a collaborative space as well as
being a leader of other teachers working in collaborative spaces and co-teaching.
Mark Osborne, is a leader for teaching in and working with Innovative Learning Environments. He has been working
on improving outcomes for teachers making the change into collaborative environments and co-teaching from single
cell classrooms. He shares a presentation as he lectures to us and the first session is about Effective Team Function.
“Setting up a high functioning collaborative team is essential whether or not you are in a co-teaching space or working
as part of a team in a single cell space.” Mark starts by asking a question on where we are at to start and sets him up
for the rest of the sessions. He shared the three “Ps”, he unpacked the graphic organiser and discussed the components
of an effective teacher in a collaborative environment.
These components work hand in hand, and he also stressed the importance of making change but we need to be
prepared and ready even before we begin to teach. So that effective team function is going to help stabilise the journey.
The justification for co-teaching is because we know that children thrive when they are exposed with a variety of
pedagogies, that no two brains work the same, by giving the children the choice empowers them to take ownership
of their own learning and the learning becomes more future focussed. It also supports deep learning for diverse learners.
“Co-teaching among teachers was shown to offer…’a powerful means of continuous professional learning that can
result in expanded instructional knowledge and practice, as well as higher and consistent expectations for students.”
York-Barr et al. (2007)
When we co-teach, we become more capable teachers. Learning from each other and expanding our own capacity to
be the best we can be. Research says that the best teachers produce the best outcomes and those children who are
in front of poor teachers then we are handicapping the progress for these children for up to three years. Mark outlined
the research as something we can use these ideas with families and whanau as well as teachers and colleagues.
He also stressed the importance of the fact that you can’t just put people in a room and tell them to co-teach.
Foundations need to be in place well beforehand to make it happen successfully. We need to be mindful of what works –
To improve our knowledge Mark posed a number of activities where we have to label and number statements on where we place the more collaborative statements and shared a framework for collaboration to help us to understand what it all actually means.
Defining co-teaching:
“Co-teaching is two or more people sharing responsibility forteaching all of the students assigned to a classroom”
(Villa, Thousandand Nevin, 2008)
In preparation for co-teaching and collaboration, Mark uses a tree metaphor to explain what is needed to make this
successful.
Mark also used Tuckmann model to illustrate effective team performance.
Mark stressed the importance of storming is the most phase is the Storming phase and
this is a form of conflict and there are 5 sources of conflict.
All these forms of conflict are present in the Storming phase, but the first 2 stages are productive and the others can
be destructive. Relationship based conflict is the most poisonous, as it attacks the person and is damaging to both
parties. But if you stay on the topic and process based conflict then this can be very productive, arguing about
strategies to take and order of events. It is still difficult as we can have our own ideas and be upset as we see
the attack on us not the idea. Something to be mindful of as we are in the STORMING Phase.
Mark suggested that you “HOLD YOUR IDEAS LIGHTLY” as this will help the team dynamics and will help you to be
in a productive form of conflict. Mark goes on to share a text called “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, he gave
the 5 statements for the dysfunctions and the author says that there is a root to all dysfunctionally. Mark asked us to put
them in order.
The order is:
1. Lack of Trust
2. Fear of Conflict
3. Lack of Commitment
4. Avoidance of Accountability
5. Inattention to Results
Mark stressed the importance of having frank, honest and open debate. He also stressed that we need to build
trust with our colleagues and is going to help us go a long way with collaboration and co-teaching. He finished
with a recap and reflection for where to next.
So What?
I feel privileged to be one of the 4 teachers from our school taking part in this, I am the only Team Leader with
the DP experiencing this alongside me. There are many facets of this that I feel I need to get my head around
although I’m not sure who I am working with next year as the team hasn't been decided yet.
There are many take-aways for my current team about building up that sense of trust and moving through
the different levels of dysfunctionality as I can see comparisons for them. I believe that all team leaders should be
exposed to this PD especially looking forward to next year and that we are working with whanau grouping too.
Now What?
I need to be open minded to where this journey will take me and how it will impact the children, my colleagues
and myself going forward into 2021. I need to actively seek the purpose of the combinations of teachers to
gain a better understanding of what I am required to do in my role as
Team Leader.
It will mean that it will be necessary to involve my co-Team Leader and upskill her with this thinking as well as
the other Team Leaders around me so that we are speaking the same language and can elevate the whole team
not just a select few.
“Setting up a high functioning collaborative team is essential whether or not you are in a co-teaching space or working as part of a team in a single cell space.” Mark Osborne
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