Morgan Bevell

Personal Philosophy Statement

I believe the ancient adage, “it takes a village”, applies directly to collaboration within

special education. In order for a student to reach their full potential, all members of the academic

team must be actively engaged in doing their part. This team includes the student, their parents

and/or guardians, their teachers, their tutors or aides, their counselors, their administrators, and

any other support staff that come into contact with the student in any way. Collaboration is so

important in special education in particular because this support team is able to advocate for the

student in areas they are unable to do for themselves. The student, for example, can provide

firsthand account of their goals, areas they feel they need to improve in, and the supports they

need in order to get there. The parents and/or guardians can give insight into the home-life and

behavioral patterns. The teachers, tutors, and aides can speak on the student’s academic

performance, deficiencies, and social interactions with peers. The counselors and administrators

can provide the resources, funding, and logistics in providing aid for the student. All members of

this team are vital to the student’s success. Every individual has different strengths and create a

well-rounded support system when collaborated together.

The key factor that must be in place to ensure successful collaboration in special

education is constant and consistent communication. Due to the fact that all members of the team

aren’t simultaneously working with the student on a daily basis, it is vital for the collaborators to

keep one another updated on the student’s progress, patterns, breakthroughs, or anything else

considered noteworthy. For example, if one team member implements an intervention with the

student and it seems to have been successful, that team member needs to share this information
with the rest of the group so they can hopefully find success as well. The team member should

include what intervention they used, how they exactly implemented it, and what the student’s

reaction was. This also helps keep the experience as consistent as possible for the student, even

when working with multiple people. On the other hand, if the student seems off, is falling

behind, and opens up to one team member about what’s going on emotionally, this would be

important information to also share with the other collaborators. By doing so, other team

members can be more prepared for what to expect from the student, how to react to them, and

perhaps to have a bit more patience with them as well. Communication is always the key to

success, but especially in special education because there’s so many moving parts, and we want

them all working together in the same direction.

On the other hand, there are many potential barriers to successful collaboration in special

education. Afterall, the more people and personalities involved, the more differences one

typically runs into! A possible obstacle to creating a successful collaboration could be

differences in individual teaching styles. This could include philosophies on behavior

management as well as ideas on how to utilize class preparation. Another potential barrier could

be simply the variance in training or knowledge throughout the team, leading to

misunderstandings or power struggles. It is also important to be weary of differences in cultures

and linguistics. The family of the student may come from different financial situations, races,

experiences, background, and more. Differences in opinion will arise in any working

relationship; what matters most is how the team responds to them. It is vital to create trusting and

open relationships within the team. This will create a safe space to give and receive feedback and

constructive criticisms.
 Collaboration within special education is necessary to help the students reach their full

potentials. There may be differences of opinion, but open and honest communication within

trusting relationships will help create a safe and successful environment. The team must be

united in their intent and purpose to help the student succeed, and break past predisposed

barriers. A successful collaboration will provide the student with all of the resources and support

necessary to help them reach their full potential.