Running head: COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 1

Effective Communication and Collaboration

Ashia Brown

Regent University

Author Note

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2018

COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 2

Effective Communication and Collaboration

During the first week of student teacher it was vital to my experience that I establish

effective communication with everyone that is involved in this part of my learning experience. I

first established communication with the director of student teaching to ensure that I understood

what was expected of me. Next, I communicated with my cooperating teacher, school staff, and

administration in order to understand school guidelines and expectations. Finally, I established

communication with the students and their parents to ensure they understood what was happing

in the classroom and what they could expect in the coming weeks. This competency focuses on

how I established effective communications amongst each person involved in this learning

experience and how collaborations has been used to improve skills that I am acquiring during

this experience.

Rational for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact that I chose to represent communication and collaboration is a newsletter

that I sent home with each of the students in my classroom. I chose this artifact because it

illustrates how I have established communication with the parents and guardians of the students

in my class. Before drafting the newsletter, I wonder how I would communicate with parents

about who I am and why I am in their child’s classroom. I also consider the fact that the

cooperating teacher might have already sent a newsletter home about my position. However, I

wonder how the parents would get to know me personally, and how I was going to successfully

be incorporated in the parent teacher communication process. With these questions running

through my mind, I ask the cooperating teacher if it was a good idea to send a newsletter home

and she told me that it was a wonderful idea. We collaborated and discussed what I should

include in the newsletter to ensure answers to common question that parents have about student
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 3

teachers were answered. After a brief introduction of myself I illustrated how the cooperating

teacher and I will collaborate to ensure that their child will continue to receive proper

educational support while I am in the classroom. Finally, I left my contact information and

invited parents to the classroom to meet me. I did this to encourage strong communication and

collaboration between us while I am working with their child.

The next artifact that I have chosen to illustrate effective communication and

collaboration is an observation report conducted by the director of student teaching. I chose this

artifact because it not only shows that the director of student teaching and I have communicated.

It also documents what we have communicated about. Keeping documentation on who you

communicated with, when you communicated, and what you discussed it vital in any system that

requires communication and collaboration. I also chose this artifact because it was the tool I used

to collaborate with my cooperating teacher to create strategies to improve on the things that were

documented as needing to be refined. This artifact demonstrates what effective communication

looks like and can be used a reference to see growth or the lack there of in the future.

Refection on Theory and Practice

If I have learned one thing in the classroom setting and previous experiences it is that

effective communication is vital to establishing a conducive learning environment. When

working with students it is important that all personal involved in that student’s education be on

the same page to ensure that child is getting the support they need. When students, teachers, and

parents are not working parallel it hinders students from reaching their full potential both

educational and morally (Ryan & Bohlin 1999). This is why I chose the newsletter artifact; it

demonstrates the importance of establishing relationships with parents despite the length of my

involvement in their student’s education. Parents and teacher both share a fundamental concern
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 4

for children (Ryan & Bohlin 1999). Therefore, to ensure each student gets the support they need

communication must be established to ensure effective collaboration. Although my newsletter

was only and introduction it shows that I have acquired the necessary skills to communicate with

the parents of my future students. It also shows the emphasis that I have placed on

communication.

I used the second artifact to illustrate the importance of effective feedback. I have learned

in many courses that proper feedback will fuel students to work harder. I have also learned that

feedback that is always constructive can be destructive. As a future teacher it is important that I

know how to give feedback that will fuel my students not demotivate them. The observation

report really illustrates the strategy that I learned in order to give proper feedback. First start with

something positive, then add in what the student could have done better, finally leave on a

positive note. These steps are illustrated in the observation report. Although I was not the person

giving the feedback, I did get the opportunity to receive feedback using this method and it fueled

me to want to improve. Being on the receiving end of the feedback showed me how I could

effectively communicate with my future students and encourage growth during their learning

experience. It also allowed me to observe the strategy being modeled outside. Being able to use

the feedback given allowed me to collaborate with the cooperating teacher to create and

implement strategies to improve my skills and ultimately maximize my learning experience.

Again, this showed me how communicating with my future students can maximize their learning

experience.

Over all communication and collaboration is vital to the learning experience. It is

important that students feel they have a voice in the classroom and it is equally as important to

establish communication with parents and guardians. Moving forward it is important for me to
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remember the benefits of proper communication and also the consequence of poor

communication.
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References

Ryan, Kevin, and Karen E. Bohlin. Building character in schools: practical ways to bring moral

instruction to life. Jossey-Bass, 2003.

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Footnotes
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Tables

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