Let’s start with the obvious- teamwork in the classroom is absolutely essential to supporting students with learning differences in school. Our students are most successful when everyone on the team, regardless of who they are, pulls together. That’s not in dispute. I’m Emily from Special Ed Safari. I love talking teaching and learning- check out my TPT Shop, follow me on Instagram or Facebook!
Teamwork in the classroom isn’t easy.
Teams are made of people, and occasionally, people just don’t get along! There are a lot of reasons that this can happen, but if you’ve ever been in a situation where the team’s work isn’t making the dreams work, you know it can be frustrating and stressful.
Why do teams have trouble? Here are just a few reasons:
😬 Personality Conflicts
😬 Differing Expectations
😬 Different Communication Styles
😬 Personal Experiences
As an administrator, I spend a lot of time supporting teams in problem solving, and sometimes the problem they need to solve is how they are going to work together for the benefit of the students. I can honestly say that it’s a rare thing in a conflict where one person is 100% right and everyone else is wrong. So, I’ve had it happen where folks get frustrated because they are expecting someone to take the position of “you just need to do what ____ says.” Usually, that’s not the solution! Instead, oftentimes teams need to use strategies to keep the students front and center while also creating an atmosphere where they can work and be successful.
And with that said, I give you…Five Strategies to Support Teamwork in the Classroom!
Manage expectations.
In a happy, perfect world, we would all go to work with our teacher besties, and we would all love our jobs every minute of every day, and we would all leave at the end of the day completely fulfilled in every way, right? Even reading that, it doesn’t really sound realistic. Instead, we need to manage our expectations. This means acknowledging to ourselves (out loud is generally not a good idea) that our teammates have their own strengths and weaknesses, and that we may or may not agree with what they say and do. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have valid points or that they are deliberately trying to make our jobs hard. It just means they see things from a different perspective than we do. Teamwork in the classroom rarely comes without compromise and effort.
Of course, this doesn’t apply if a teammate is ever doing something that is illegal, or immoral, or dangerous to kids. But you knew that, right?
Know your stuff.
It may come as a shock, but sometimes we as teachers misremember things! That may mean that our understanding of a point in the IEP is incorrect, or we forgot to do something we said we would do, or another person is just right, and we are just wrong. When that happens, get up to speed, review the documents, and make sure you know what you’re talking about. If something is worth having conflict about, it’s worth a second look, right?
Create tools and use them.
Teachers and the other professionals on teaching teams are insanely busy people who are juggling a lot of projects and wearing a lot of hats. Some people multitask better than others, and some people remember details better than others. To that end, create structures that make doing all the things easier for all the people! Whether it’s a visual schedule, posted procedures, trackers for important data, or whatever, if it will help the team, create it, get it in place, and make it part of daily practice to use it. Teamwork in the classroom can look many different ways, but organization is a huge way to build this among your team.
Deal with issues early.
It’s important to have a process by which the team meets regularly to discuss how things are going- good, bad or indifferent. These check-ins don’t have to be long, and they don’t have to be complicated, but they do need to:
✔️ Happen regularly
✔️ Not occur in front of students, but
✔️ Focus on the students (and not just complaining.)
These can be an essential place to be fostering teamwork in the classroom. If your team meetings are only places where you give directions, you’re probably not using them as efficiently as you could be. How might you ask for feedback, or use feedback that you’ve been given?
Document, document, document.
If you are having regular team meetings, and you’ve got supports in place, and you know what you’re talking about, and you think that your expectations are reasonable and in line with best practices, then make sure you have a record of what you’ve tried so far to support the team and the students. Unfortunately, there are times when these strategies don’t work, and additional support is needed. If ever a situation needs to be elevated to administration, it’s a pretty safe bet you will be asked, “what have you tried so far?” Have an answer for that question. This is especially important if the conflict in the team is impacting student progress or implementation of the IEP.
As an administrator, I have the same goals as teachers and teaching teams- the best outcomes possible for students, and a great place to work for the staff! However, sometimes there are issues that keep those things from being easily obtained. Remember, most of these situations aren’t black and white; communication takes work. If you’re not experiencing teamwork in the classroom, try some of the strategies above. You may be surprised how a little bit of support and clarity can change the whole dynamic.
Looking for more? Check out this post on time management for teachers (which can absolutely support teamwork in the classroom) and this post on self-care.
