1

Team guidelines are negotiated.

Which means that we as teachers

Come together as a team to create some guidelines that everyone can agree to, outlining how the team will operate moving forward.

So that our learners

Have a positive, well functioning team of teachers, modelling effective collaboration right in front of them.

Prioritise this if you want your learners to:

Have a team of teachers that get along well with each other.
Have a cohesive programme, with everybody working together for a common cause.
Have the benefit of more than one teacher working for them.
Have an effective model of collaboration in front of them.
Have the opportunity to build relationships with more people.

2

Teachers take shared responsibility for all learners.

Which means that we as teachers

See the whole group as “our learners” and make shared decisions around the planning, teaching & assessing for all the learners.

So that our learners

Have the combined expertise of all teachers working together to give them the best that they can.

Prioritise this if you want your learners to:

Benefit from getting the best from all teachers.
Have a group of teachers pooling together to solve problems.
Be learning from teachers who are passionate and talented in different areas.
Have teachers who learn with and from each other.
Ensure teachers make decisions that are in the best interests of the earners.

3

Multiple co-teaching strategies are used.

Which means that we as teachers

Make the most out of being in a collaborative team by thinking flexibly about which co-teaching strategy would be best for different learning activities and learners.

So that our learners

Experience a variety of teaching approaches that best suit the learning they are doing.

Prioritise this if you want your learners to:

Have teachers choosing the best strategies to match the purpose and learners.
the purpose and learners be engaged in different types of lessons.
Experience different styles of teaching.
Benefit from being taught by different people.
Have input in to the styles that are working for them.

4

Collaborative skills are made explicit.

Which means that we as teachers

Share the skills & dispositions for effective collaboration, unpack them with learners and give them time to practice and reflect on how they are going.

So that our learners

Know their strengths when collaborating and what they need to work on, and are given strategies and tools to help them with what they need.

Prioritise this if you want your learners to:

Know what the skills & dispositions for collaboration are.
Understand who they are as a collaborator; their strengths and weaknesses.
Identify what they need to work on to improve and become a more effective collaborator.
Be taught in lessons, and give strategies & tools to help.
Receive feedback on how they are going with collaboration.

5

Opportunities for collaboration are regular.

Which means that we as teachers

Design and plan meaningful tasks that require people to work together to come up with a single result or product.

So that our learners

Can put their collaborative skills into practice in a task that requires effective collaboration to be successful.

Prioritise this if you want your learners to:

Have multiple opportunities to practise collaborating.
Get used to working with others for their learning.
Be able to put their skills into action.
Have a context or experience to reflect on how they are going.
Have experience collaborating to take with them through their lives.

What if everyone collaborates?

Effective Collaboration

The Five Elements

1

1

Team guidelines are negotiated.

Which means that we as teachers

So that our learners

2

2

Teachers take shared responsibility for all learners.

Which means that we as teachers

So that our learners

3

3

Multiple co-teaching strategies are used.

Which means that we as teachers

So that our learners

4

4

Collaborative skills are made explicit.

Which means that we as teachers

So that our learners

5

5

Opportunities for collaboration are regular.

Which means that we as teachers

So that our learners

What if there were resources to create an effective collaboration?

The Approaches

Information

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