Partnership in progress: How teacher-paraprofessional collaboration enhances student learning
Establishing an environment in early childhood classrooms that promotes effective teamwork and collaboration has been shown to significantly enhance student outcomes, particularly for those with complex needs. Exceptional education teachers are expected to collaborate with various providers to support the students they serve. Paraprofessionals play a crucial role as integral members of the educational team. In educational settings, the emphasis is often on instruction and content delivery. However, fostering trusting working relationships is a key component of building a strong collaborative team. High-quality collaboration improves instructional quality, resulting in higher student achievement across developmental domains (Da Fonte & Barton-Arwood, 2017). The article, “Building and sustaining a collaborative educational team: Teacher and paraprofessionals,” examines barriers, offers strategies and outlines resources to facilitate the important initial steps to developing a collaborative relationship (Urbani et al., 2024).
In a high-performing team, trust is built through strong interdependence, allowing teammates to rely on one another and work closely together, along with clear expectations and mutual support. The authors highlight the three C’s of effective educational teams (Urbani et al., 2024):
- Collaboration: How are we going to work together?
- Communication: How will we share information?
- Conflict Resolution: How will we maintain a professional relationship despite disagreements?
Like any effective team, Urbani et al. (2024) recommend establishing norms to support these three key areas. While determining a team’s function usually occurs at the start of the school year, ongoing attention to these areas is essential for successful implementation throughout the year (Stehle Wallace et al., 2022). Creating opportunities for ongoing dialogue within teams enables them to address potential barriers and challenges in each area. There are three key barriers affecting collaboration between teachers and paraprofessionals: the inherent power dynamics in their relationship, unclear roles and responsibilities, and insufficient training for paraprofessionals (Frantz et al., 2022). Often paraprofessionals feel undervalued within classroom environments (Brock et al., 2021). Nurturing communication between teachers and paraprofessionals is fundamental to fostering cohesive and trusting relationships. Setting clear communication expectations creates a space for sharing information and asking clarifying questions, which encourages diverse perspectives. Creating a culture of ongoing feedback and constructive communication is vital for developing a high-quality team. Conflicts often arise from differing and diverse perspectives; this is an inevitable and necessary part of collaboration. An educational team’s capacity to address conflict in a productive and constructive manner can truly test even the strongest collaborative pairs, ultimately benefiting student outcomes. The authors provide a template for developing Team Agreements for Conflict Resolution, complete with guiding questions and examples.
Teachers and paraprofessionals have complementary roles in supporting students with disabilities, making their collaboration vital. Ultimately, a strong partnership between these professionals is essential for fostering an inclusive learning environment that promotes the success of all students.
Additional resources to support early childhood educators and the families they serve:
Chapman, C., & Hyatt, C. H. (2011). Critical conversations in co-teaching: A problem-solving approach. Solution Tree Press.
CONNECT Module 3: Communication for Collaboration
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA):
Communication for Teaming and Collaboration Checklist
Practitioner Practice Guide 2.1: Team Members Engaging in Quality Communication
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI): Classroom Collaboration Workstyle Discussion Guide
In addition, TTAC’s library offers a wide range of materials and resources that address teaming, collaboration and co-teaching.
References
Brock, M. E., Barczak, M. A.. & Dueker, S. A. (2021). A randomized evaluation of group training for professionals to implement systematic instruction strategies with students with severe disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 44(3), 206-220.
Da Fonte, M. A., & Barton-Arwood, S. M. (2017). Collaboration of general and special education teachers: Perspectives and strategies. Intervention in School and Clinic, 53(2), 99-106.
Frantz, R., Douglas, S., Meadan, H., Sands, M., Bhana, N., & D’Agostino, S. (2022). Exploring the professional development needs of early childhood paraeducators and supervising teachers. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 42(1), 20-32.
Stehle Wallace, E., Senter, R., Peterson, N., Dunn, K. T., & Chow, J. (2022). How to establish a language-rich environment through a collaborative SLP- teacher partnership. TEACHING Exceptional Children , 56(3), 166-176.
Urbani, J., LePage, P., & Watson-Alvarado, S. (2024). Building and sustaining a collaborative educational team: Teacher and paraprofessionals. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 57(1), 6-13.
For more information, contact Adrienne Quarles-Smith ([email protected]), Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Early Childhood Special Education