Overcoming Barriers to Collaboration Among Partners-in-Teaching ELizaseTH Boxpy axp Many T. BROWNELL Bondy, E. & Brownell, M.. (1997) Overcoming bariers to clisboration arsong partners-inteaching, ol and Cline, 33(2), 112-115, Reprinted with permission ofthe publisher ion in Although the need for collaboration among those who have knowledge and expertise abous number of factors can n difficult. These tactors include teachers’ baliafs about themselves ama others, professional isolation, and weak esllake: ‘ation skills. This article offers suggestions for whst teachers can do to overcome these barriers to collaberation: ‘sage spoken in the home. In addition, avarery of oxi problems increase the probabilicy thar significant num. pets of public school children will be 2 rik for schecl failure or having a disabil bom in poverty andro teenage and single parents, as wef 2s the large numbers of children who are homeless (Flaunan & Pastow, 1993: US. Deparment of Cone ‘meres, 1992), Strong advocacy in the disability comumu. ney for integrating studenc with disabilities into general sducation environments also holds pocenal to further diversify the learning and behavioral needs teachers rae address in their classrooms. Finally, teachers will be Zequired to accommodate increasing student diversity n eneral education classrooms becsuse she funding for 192 tro Soe Come special programs separate ffom mainstream education Programs is gradually decreasing. As a result. ceachen and other members of school communities are inerean ingly recognizing the need for callaboration. Lo develop the innovasive teaching techniques ther student diversity demands, teachers must collaborsee ‘with cheir “parmers-in-teaching* in order for all sexs dents to succeed. Parmers-insteaching include teachers of all specializations, 1 suidance counselors, Parents, school paychologiss, community resouree peor Pile. srudents university weacher education faculty, and others who have knowledge and expertise to contibs use to the education of children and youth. ‘Together armmers-in-teaching can create leaming envirorenenss ‘that enable all students ro succeed, Although collaboration is imporeant, it can be difficule {0 accomplish for a variecy of reasons, Some of these fe. tors, such as time and scheduling constrains, are barrie ers over which teachers have limle control. Teachers can learn to understand and contol other barriers, such ar beliefs about colleagues, students, and parents, There- We 22,2 Nore 197 pe 112-1fore, in this article we focus on. barriers over which tench ers have conerol and offer suggestions for how to redane their negative influence on the collaborative process, CouLagoraTion BARRIERS Beliefs About Ourselves and Others As tcachers, our beliefs about the roles and responsi: fs our parmers-in-teaching should assume influence our ability to collaborate. Often. we define our roles in in narrow and specialized terms (Slruc, 1991). For instance, one might view himself or herself 25 2 sec ‘ondary mathematics teacher. 2 teacher of the gifted, an clementary education teacher, or 2 learning disabilices teacher. When we view our roles in narrow and specia!- ized terms, we may not be inclined to collaborate because we do not sce ourseives as responsible for teach= ing certain kinds of children or subject matter. If we view some smidents and content as anather person responsi- bility, we are likely to resist collaboration. For caampic, i teachers we question lisabilides, We might argue thax we were prepared to general classroam, while ‘our peers who were interested in “special education” took courses in another deparament. Similarly, we may balk when non-English-speaking srudents are placed in our classrooms or when our math students clearly need help with reading and study serategies. Resericted role definitions can cause us to view cermin srudents as some one else's responsibility. When we have this perspective, wwe seek to distribute certain srudents to the appropriate specialise racher than collaborate to educate che sradencs, The belief we hold about our colleagues are also bar. fiers to effective collaboration (Bondy, Ross, Sindelar. Griffin, 1995; Johnson, Pugach. & Hammine, 1988). We form : about others’ beliefs and values and make about others based on what we think we know sbour them. We may avoid working with eerain people because we assume that they have different beliefs about teaching, lesrning, and che purposes of schooling. Ir ir Sad that these belief can stand in the way of the impor tant work to be done—educating all seudemts, Finally che beliefs we hold about parents, who are also our parmers-in-teaching, may also interfere with our abiliy wo collaborate. Our percepsions of parents may be ‘based on assumprions about their priorities, cheir inall Bence, and the level of exre they demonsuate for their children. Although we may be incorrect (Branlinget, 1985; Finders & Lewis, 1994), our ons about Parents can drive « wedge that keeps us from workang together to beer educate all children and youth, How gan we uncover our sumptions about studenn’ par- ‘ents? And, even if those assumprions hold some truth, iudgmencs should we hang on to them if chey hamper our abiligy co view parens as parmers? Professional Isolation Problems associated with the professional isolation of teachers have been discusted extensively in che literseure (horse, 1975; Rosenholu. 1989: Webb & Sherman, 1980). When we are isolated from one another. we dy not have the opportunin: to leam about, undersand, and Tetpect what our parmers-in-tezching think or value Ia {ct profesnional isolation is one reason for developing distorted perceptions of our parmers-in-eeaching Because we have limited opportunity to get to know oot Parmers-in-teaching, we can become cynical about their values or distrusang of their motives, Weak Collaboration Skills Just as our beliefs and professional isolation can ham- Per collaboration, so can weak collaboration skills (Idol & West, 1987: West & Cannon, 1988). Successful sry- dent collaborarion depends on clear delinestion of roles and tasks and the development of key social skills, such 4 listening to and valuing the other person's opinion, Antempss at collaboration often break down beesuse of failure to clarify the task at hand and che role we will pay in accomplishing the msi For example, we tay cont elude that we are doing more work than others. or others are not saking the task scriously enough. Diff nces in perspectives. values, and personalicis can result in frustration, blaming, and resistance. If collaboration is to succeed, teachers must have not conly the will but also the sll co make ic work. In shor, we have t0 learn how to build community among parr: ners rather than sake ou claim t and ina on Sree ideas and teaching stracegies. We have to lear how tp assert ourselves in ways thar don’t intimidate and silence ‘others. We have to learn how to invite all the into the conversation abour teaching and how wo synthe. size accion plans that draw on the concerns and contri- butions of che many players. How can we develop and refine the social sills needed for successful collaboration with our parmers-in- teaching? How can we reduce our professional isolation and develop trusting relationships? How can we recog nize and adjust debilitating belief about ourselves and other? We offer the following suggestions 4s viable solutions to overcoming collaboration barriers. Ways to Overcome Banners Develop Relationships with Parmers-in-Teaching ‘The people who are responsible for the education of children and youth—parmers-in-teaching-—need co mow, spect and mutt one another, Time is 4 precious Yu 3 Me 2 Mer UT 103snosher, we might find thet we reallyarenotas dif {itch how they ineiude the members of the gro Sacred believed or we might ind that we realy sree serchet the amount of time they spend talking co the different as we had believed. Good Telavonships with amount of sme they spend listening: and eens Titvteaching help us ro respect difftrenne = fotice what they do when they listen. Conder casio S20 we develop these celaconshipas In addition, we ean pay more artention to ouricves, Sescifically we can sess our own collaborauon sui” by aeking ourselves the following quessons; $ How do we operate in groups? * tpt open-minded about ather peoples Perspec- * Schedule Drop Evermthing and Read (DEAR) daa * Do we really Ty to undermand wh ling and 3 sense of parmership among the socially responsible adules, we ‘identify a bond thet can people who can help us be excellent teachers, withand che challenge of difering perspcodives and pri« oritiss. A recommendation to focus on seudents may Develop Collaboration Skills Hor wedundane. Docine is go without saying de, Tubs, develop communication and negouaten TRAE Geman on our tine and energy. We mey clings Stills Being inteligent, erecive, and familiar wich che what is familiar and perhaps even what is move ene relevant research is noe enough, Many collaborative pient. Unforrunately, Jrhat is familiar and convenient for ing productive problem solving. ite kesp srudents atthe top of the lst. To maintain sy” % i dents 36 the forus of collaborative effora, parmoe Invieaching mutt atk chemscives how hey can help all ideas, withholding judgment, using - srudenss to * be successful jearners; ‘eachers 10 build communi Parmer, become productive and happy people; Some people already have these Leads of La , dentify * develop the knowledge, sills, and srnudes of rexpon- People with scrong collaboration sii sible citizens; and | observe cheir interactions. In parseula, i * achieve the goals they value. i 114 reves Sm. CeWhen parmers-in-teaching focus on the srudents. they (an Put aside differences and discomfort and work ae Partners united by comman goal. Conc.usion takes a village to ruse a child” has been the part few vears that ic isin danger of becoming a cliche. If we consider the words carefully, however, we can appreciate che wisdom in this message. ‘The complexity of teaching and che diversity of children in todays camoome dereed we approach our work collaborasvely in order to help ali seudents succeed. Collaboration yields benefits for our snudents and our- selves, According to Ellior and Sheridan (1992), when eachers collaborate, they improve their oun shills and their smudents' leaning. Collaborating teachers become more informed abour their fields and more active in school decision making (Sindelar..Griffin. Smith. & ‘Watanabe, 1992). In addition, when teachers lear to collaborate. they can model the skills and acdmides of collaboration for their students. Schools can then become sites of democracy in action, Although callzbrarion has become a buzzword among those who describe effective schools for the 2st century Benjamin, 1989), ic is noc yee the norm in Nomh American schools (Villa & Thousand, 1996). Building collaborative communities in schools must be a con scious effort (O'Brien & O'Brien, 1996). Once achieved, such communities lift people vo “higher levels of self. understanding, commitment and performance—beyond ‘the reaches of the shortcomings and difficulties they fuee in their everyday lives” (Scrgiovanni, 1994, p. wii), ‘These ate the conditions under which we and our Parmers-in-reaching can educate all children and youth, Asout THE AuTHoRS REFeReNces ‘Senamin, $. (1999). An ideascape ft education: What Kununses rece commend. Eder Leadertop. ‘701 Brite Bondy, E. Rens. D. D. Sindeist. P.T. & Gnifin. (1908). Elemene to work sorether: Team bul Sorc Eduction, 12. 1-102 {175 Low ineume paren pereeptant sf aseam 1 school. rien Eduerren, 20, 8)-102, Hhon: . N. & Shenuan, §. ML (1992, Contlttun and teaming: Parrots and suppor: pe-wonnel 2 31a Finders M. & Lewin. © (1964), Why some parents den’ come t ‘hal. Eternal Leeder. 12.5054, Flasman, E. & Paso a. H. 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