CONSULT

Consult, collaborate and communicate with others to support student learning

I would say that on the scale from “Just Appearing on My Radar” to “Feeling Quite Competent” I would rate myself at about the mid-point, give or take. I think a large part of the reason I feel that I am doing well within this capacity is because of the nature of my job. I am lucky enough to share a classroom with another resource teacher, as well as three SEAs, which naturally lends itself to the creation of a collaborative community. We are able to share perspectives, ask each other for advice, and even work with each other’s student’s for the sake of a different approach. Furthermore, even though we teach grades 8-11 within the same classroom, the classroom dynamic is one that fosters sharing and peer teaching and learning amongst the students in the class. For example, a grade 9 student and a grade 11 student might be in the same block but are each working on very different assignments. Not only are they encouraged to help each other, but they have developed their own relationship throughout the year, making it easy and natural for them to use one another for support.
Although my job as a resource teacher inherently makes me a support to students and teachers, the collaborative and/or consultative aspect of what my relationships should be with like teachers, isn’t always as solid and effective as I would like. I find that if a teacher needs some help regarding how to adapt or modify for a student, they usually approach me after things have already not gone well and the student is doing poorly in their class instead of including me in the planning process ahead of time. Granted, some teachers have a very good grasp on their student’s needs and have great ideas for how to adapt, but a lot of them can feel very lost with it, as many of us sometimes do. I would love to be included in more of the lesson planning process with teachers. I think that this would give my role more value, it would keep me informed in what students are doing in class, and it would probably make teachers feel more competent in their ability to adapt. I can clearly see some of the ways I can work towards this type of collaborative relationships with teachers and it starts with letting them know exactly what I can do for them and the process we can take in working together. For example, maybe at the beginning of the year I need to send out an e-mail or hold a meeting about what my role is and the different ways that I can provide support for them and for students. To follow that, I could use collaboration days to rotate through departments to talk and share about ideas for supporting students in their classes