The Importance Of Collaboration In Schools
In order to offer a quality education, there needs to be some participation and coordination between teachers, families and other professionals. In this sense, the existence of a culture of collaboration in the school is very important.
Thus, all students can achieve the course objectives correctly, since the people in charge of their education maintain good communication with each other, which favors the development of children.
The importance of collaboration at school
To be able to play the role of teacher in a collaborative culture, it is necessary to have adequate training and have a series of competencies. According to Echeita these are:
- Have a thoughtful and critical attitude.
- Have curiosity and initiative.
- Know how to find and collect relevant information.
- Be strategic.
- To be able to teamwork.
- Maintain good communication, dialogue and listening guidelines.
- Knowing how to ask and offer.
- Show empathy.
- Establish relationships of reciprocity and trust with colleagues and students.
- Take risks and be open to change.
- Knowing how to set goals to improve yourself and want to continue learning.
Likewise, teachers should try to abandon traditional methodology and individualism. And, in return, learn to carry out educational work together with other professionals and with families.
For this, it is essential that the center has a team that believes in educational inclusion and that there is good organization and coordination between them, having clear the functions that each one must perform.
In this sense, support teachers, counselors, tutors and other technicians that may be necessary in the school, must work together in:
- The realization of didactic material.
- The monitoring and evaluation of the students.
- The prevention, detection and assessment of students with learning disabilities.
- Attention to diversity and offer educational support.
Families and the duty to collaborate
The group formed by the families must also put their effort and commitment in the development of a collaborative culture. Thus, their quality of interaction with the school is of great relevance for its proper functioning. Therefore, mothers and fathers must be actively involved in the configuration of the school they want for their children:
- Participating in the activities offered by the center.
- Attending meetings and tutorials individually or with other families.
- Covering the questionnaires that the school sends them.
- Reading the documents or information brochures that the center deems appropriate.
- Collaborating in educational innovation and improvement programs.
In this way, the educational system manages to know the opinions, perspectives and ideas of improvement of the parents. And, in turn, these are favored by the listening treatment that the school grants them within the decision-making process, since they can exercise a certain control in the actions that the school carries out on the students.
Benefits of school collaboration
The school’s implementation of a collaborative model has a positive impact on all students. But, especially, in those who have special educational needs, since the teacher must try to maintain a relationship with the students based on communication and that facilitates being able to pay attention to:
- Behaviors.
- The needs.
- The doubts.
- The conflicts.
- Difficulties.
- The successes.
- The comments.
Thus, everyone’s participation and learning is favored. In addition, the teacher, following these practices, creates in the classroom a dynamic of collaboration and cooperation among students. In this way, students are enriched within a climate of diversity in which respect is promoted and in which they learn how to socialize with all kinds of children.
In short, the existence of collaboration in the school environment carries with it a series of commitments, implications and practical repercussions that are beneficial to all. Therefore, educational improvement and innovation can be achieved through the effort and dedication of each one of us.
