Teaming and Collaboration

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Teaming and Collaboration

• Carey Dimmit and Reese House
• School Counselor Summer Institute
• UMASS, 2003

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Collaboration

• Definition Working together toward a common
  goal, with shared responsibility for outcomes.
• Collaboration is about building relationships.
• School Counselors already have many collaboration
  skills because of your interpersonal skills and
  experience and knowledge of group work.

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Why Collaborate?

• Children and adolescents have complex needs
• Counselors have big caseloads and multiple job
  demands
• Collaboration is usually more successful and
  efficient, even if it is initially more
  challenging
• Collaboration builds knowledge and understanding
  of SC role and impact

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Why Collaborate?

• Collaborative efforts have more systemic power
  than individual efforts
• Collaboration creates energy and common direction
  for change
• Collaboration creates a common language about
  students and academic achievement

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Collaboration

• For School Counselors in a results-based
  educational context, a valuable goal of
  collaboration is the educational success of all
  students in the school, using data to document
  systemic change.

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Collaboration

• Collaboration occurs most easily when
• Those involved value the collaborative style of
  working with others
• Those involved trust one another
• A sense of community evolves
• The goals and desired outcomes are clearly
  communicated
• All involved take responsibility for outcomes

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Collaboration

• School counselors can work collaboratively with
  others in the school (teachers, administrators,
  students), family members and the larger
  community in order to
• fulfill the primary mission of the school
• support development of all students in the
  academic, social-emotional and career domains

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Collaboration

• Collaboration is based on Mutual Goals
• Often the shared goal is the best interest of the
  student(s) involved
• Collaboration is Voluntary
• When defined as a style of interacting with
  others, collaboration is something that people
  must choose to do

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Collaboration

• Collaboration Requires Equal Value and Equal
  Power Among Participants
• May have parity in one context and not in another
  
• Collaboration Depends on Shared Responsibility
  for Participation and Decision Making
• Responsibility for decision making is not the
  same as responsibility for completing tasks

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Collaboration

• Collaboration Requires Shared Resources
• Resources include time, availability, expertise,
  skills, access to other agencies, and so on.
• Collaboration Allows for Shared Accountability
  for Outcomes
• Shared accountability leads to greater effort,
  which creates success

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Collaboration Diversity Issues

• Myth 1 A person of color can represent his/her
  whole community or people of color in general.
  Not true.
• For example, what gets called the Hispanic
  community is really communities of people from
  Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central or South American
  countries and Spain.

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Collaboration Diversity Issues

• Addressing Myth 1 When collaborating, each
  person speaks for him/herself, and not as a
  representative of a larger community. No one
  person can accurately represent any complex
  group. We can find out what others in a community
  think through further conversation and research.

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Collaboration Diversity Issues

• Myth 2 The Anglo/dominant culture is the U.S.
  culture. Not true.
• For people reared as Anglo Americans, culturally
  specific assumptions and expectations are
  generalized to others, when they may be
  inaccurate. These assumptions and expectations
  about behavior impact on collaboration.

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Collaboration Diversity Issues

• Addressing Myth 2 When working with others,
  consciousness about how ones cultural contexts
  impact on assumptions and expectations helps keep
  communication clear.

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Collaboration Diversity Issues

• Myth 3 Cultural competence is something we can
  learn through repeated contacts with people
  different from ourselves. Not true.
• Cultural competence is a skill which takes
  considerable conscious effort to learn. Working
  with someone does not necessarily translate into
  an understanding of differences in expectation,
  assumptions and communication style.

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Collaboration Diversity Issues

• Addressing Myth 3 In order to learn about
  others, we have to take the time to ask questions
  and to engage in meaningful dialogue about
  similarities and differences. An assumption of
  understanding without questions can lead to
  prolonged and consistent misinterpretation.

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Collaboration Creating Collaborative Schools

• What gets in the way of collaboration?
• Physical isolation inherent in the structure of
  schools (unless there are teams or learning
  communities)
• School cultures of independence and self-reliance
• Lack of resources -- time, space, materials

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Collaboration Creating Collaborative Schools

• How can schools create more collaborative
  cultures?
• Form optional study groups to address shared
  concerns and to generate solutions
• Trade jobs for short periods of time to build
  understanding and respect for what others do
• Schedule social activities so staff can develop
  relationships

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Teaming

• Definition A group of professionals working
  together to provide students with effective
  educational programs and services.
• Teaming is more about structure, whereas
  collaboration is about ways of working together
  and communicating. Teaming may or may not be
  collaborative.

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Teaming

• Teaming occurs most effectively when
• Individuals perceive themselves to be part of a
  team.
• Each team member is appreciated for the unique
  skills/knowledge she/he brings to the team.
• Goals and desired outcomes are clearly
  communicated and understood.

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Teaming

• Teaming occurs most effectively when
• Teaming results in outcomes which are more
  successful than what any individual could
  accomplish alone.
• Members needs are met.
• all are respected, included and valued
• professional and personal needs are considered

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Teaming

• Teaming occurs most effectively when
• Team members are functionally interdependent,
  with complementary and interconnected roles.
  What impacts one team member impacts all.
• Members have individual accountability, so each
  person has responsibility for something the group
  needs in order to function.

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Teaming

• Teaming occurs most effectively when
• Leadership is shared among group members.
• Conflicts are resolved constructively.
• Differences of opinion are discussed and
  resolved.
• Members have collaborative relationships.

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Teaming

• Teaming occurs most effectively when
• Teams are of reasonable size
• Teams have a mission/vision and the freedom to
  operationalize goals
• Members meet regularly
• Members are empowered to be involved and to make
  a difference
• Teams set reasonable and attainable goals

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Teaming and CollaborationEffective Teams
Collaborate!

• Collaborative relationships among team members
  create effective teaming and successful outcomes
  for students.

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Teaming and Collaborating to Promote Student
Achievement

• Form or become a member of
• The School Leadership Team
• A School Counseling Program Design and
  Implementation Team
• Ad hoc committees to address specific concerns
• A school improvement team
• Curriculum revision team

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Teaming and Collaborating to Promote Student
Achievement

• How do these ideas impact on your work on behalf
  of student achievement?
• How do these ideas impact your action plan?

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THE END