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Allie Yowell
Regent University
Introduction
All effective teachers have mastered the art of communication and collaboration, as it is
critical to perform any task. Throughout the first four weeks of this first placement I have quickly
learned that everything a teacher does requires efficient communication and the ability to work
collaboratively. The idea that a teacher can work in isolation and still be successful is unrealistic
in todays world. Being a teacher in a public school requires consistent communication and
collaboration with students, parents, administration, school specialists, and other teachers. It is
almost overwhelming to see the amount of meetings and collaborative planning my cooperating
teacher is a part of. Nevertheless, it is evident that these efforts ensure that she is always on track,
meeting performance goals, promoting student growth, working with parents to help students,
and using resources outside of her own experience. It is extremely beneficial for me to see how
much more efficient my cooperating teacher is when she works with her grade level team and
Rationale
As a result of my schools effort to promote collaboration and team planning, I have had
the opportunity to take part in many meetings and planning sessions. I have worked with other
grade level teachers, the reading specialist, the math specialist, the gifted specialist and the web
resources specialists in different settings to align lessons with the schools goals. In one of the
meetings, we had to plan the next quarterly writing piece. As set by the schools standards, it
needed to be an expository piece that focused on some aspect of the science curriculum.
For my first artifact, I chose the RAFT writing assignment that we developed during this
planning time. The whole grade level and the specialist teams worked together to develop a
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writing prompt that would be appropriate for this time. I was able to give my input and share
ideas that I thought would work for this assignment. Together, we created a RAFT that focuses
on content that I will be teaching in science for the next four weeks. As I would be responsible
for teaching half of the grade the science content, I ensured that we developed a writing
assignment that would align with the standards and accurately assessed the content. The RAFT
we developed lets the students play the role of a zoologist that will be describing, to the zoo
board, a new animal exhibit they want to add to the zoo. We later created a research guide that
students would use during science to prepare for the writing aspect of the assignment. This was
largely a collaborative effort that required input from each teacher so that the differing levels of
For my second artifact, I chose a letter that I sent home to my students parents at the
beginning of my placement. I know that many parents want to be updated on everything that is
going on in the classroom, and I wanted parents to be aware that a student teacher would be
working with their kids. In the letter, I introduced myself by telling the parents a little bit of my
background. I let them know what my role was and that I would be teaching the class in its
entirety by the fourth week. Additionally, I told them how I enjoyed getting to know each of their
students and was excited to continue develop relationships with them. I encouraged them to
contact me if they had any questions and thanked them for their cooperation. I truly believe it is
important, even as a student teacher, to reach out to parents and involve them in their students
learning.
Reflection
When done well, communication and collaboration can go a long way to making an
efficient classroom and an effective teacher. Both are key skills that will enhance the teachers
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ability to provide the best learning experience for his/her class. I have been able to observe
effective communication and collaboration take place between the teacher and students, parents,
co-workers, and administration. When teachers put in place these skills, they are creating a team
that can work together to form the best education for their students. Dr. Richard Curwin stated
that, setting up effective communication and forming a team are very powerful tools in helping
From Regent I have learned that we are ambassadors of Christ. Every time we
believe that we should always be in open communication with parents and faculty, and always be
willing to work with them. I personally often have the idea that I can do things on my own.
When I hold that attitude, I lose the opportunity to share my ideas, learn from others, and
ultimately show Christs love. As a teacher, it is best for the students when we work with parents
and collaborate with other teachers. This literally creates a team whose sole purpose is to do what
is best for the students. Additionally, when we collaborate and communicate effectively and
gracefully, we can be Christs representative to this team; just as 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, We
are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us (NIV).
Being in communication with others as teachers gives God the opportunity to make His appeal
through us.
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References
Curwin, R. (2012). Parents and Teachers: The Possibility of a Dream Team. Edutopia. Retrieved
from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-teacher-collaboration-richard-curwin