Teachers Helping Teachers

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TeachersHelping Teachers
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Why?

• Immediacy
• - it offers something right away
• Ownership
• - control stays with the teacher
• Relevance
• - strategies are selected by those involved based
  on expressed need
• Empowering
• - it gets people moving
• Success
• - uses strengths as a base for change
• Collaborative
• - one idea stimulates another - people piggy-back

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Decisions to make

• Deal with it yourself
• Seek collaborative support from a peer
• Seek help from a Support Teacher
• Consult an expert
• Participate in a problem-solving process like
  Teachers Helping Teachers

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Teachers Helping Teachers

• An effective approach to problem solving
• You are not alone
• Access to more information and resources
• Draw on experience and different situations you
  have encountered
• History

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Collaborative Team Approach

• A team meeting can help us to refocus
• Provides a range of possibilities
• Can be the quickest way to see a plan develop for
  the student
• Ownership remains with the classroom teacher
• Shatters dependence on expert solutions
• Helps support a collaborative environment

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The Team

• Participants may include
• From the Centre
• Administrator
• Teachers
• Support Staff

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The Team

• Participants may include
• School Board Professionals
• Psychologist / Psycho-educational consultant
• Speech and Language Pathologist
• Consultant for Special Needs

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Roles

• Coordinator
• Organize and Chair meeting process
• Minute taker
• Agenda and mange minutes of the meeting
• Recorder
• Records the brainstorming session
• Participants
• Individuals attending and brainstorming
  strategies
• Teacher presenting the case to be discussed

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Purpose

• The purpose of the meeting is to brainstorm
  strategies that will support the teacher with
  their student group, so that s/he is more
  successful in meeting the needs of the student.
• It involves a collaborative approach to
  problem-solving and facilitates communication
  between teachers, administrators, and
  professionals.
• The meeting also provides a forum for follow up
  with students.
• This type of meeting should occur regularly (e.g.
  weekly, or twice a month).

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Benefits

• Empowers teachers
• Improves lines of communication within the centre
• Facilitates a collaborative approach to
  problem-solving
• Develops a plan for student success
• Improves communication between the centre and
  outside resources
• Maximizes the use of available resources
• Defines roles of individuals
• Improves record-keeping by documenting
  interventions
• Emphasizes prevention and intervention practices
  before a crisis situation arises

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Team Process

• The meeting is comprised of three parts
• REFERRAL
• PROBLEM-SOLVING MEETING
• FOLLOW-UP

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30 Minute Problem Solving Model

• Typically meeting lasts no longer than 30 minutes
  and has 7 distinct stages
• Stage 1 EXPLANATION OF PROBLEM AND PROCESS
• Stage 2 VALIDATION OF INFORMATION
• Stage 3 CLARIFICATION OF PROBLEM
• This fact finding process lasts 5 to 8 minutes

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• Stage 4 ROUND-TABLE BRAINSTORMING
• This brainstorming lasts 17 to 20 minutes
• Stage 5 EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF STRATEGIES
• Stage 6 FOLLOW-UP PLANNING
• Stage 7 CLOSURE
• Selection of suggestions usually lasts 5 to 8
  minutes
• Note The time limits can be shortened should
  the problem-solving portion of the meeting need
  to be condensed. Usually at the Secondary School
  level or in Adult Education these time parameters
  are changed in order to discuss many cases over a
  longer meeting time (approx 2hrs).

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Tips for Making the Process Effective

• Submit a reasonable list of students to discuss
• A long unrealistic list impedes the development
  of effective plans
• Prepare and distribute an agenda before the
  meeting
• The agenda sets the pace and guides
  participants to use meeting time and organization
  effectively
• Include brainstorming following a summary of the
  problem
• When the team is used only to share information,
  few strategies are developed
• Maintain detailed minutes of each meeting
• Without a written record, the responsibilities of
  strategies and interventions are likely forgotten
  and there will be poor follow-up

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Tips for Making the Process Effective

• Work collaboratively to share the load
• If the team lacks shared responsibility,
  individual strengths and expertise are often not
  utilized to their potential
• Problem solve as a multi-disciplinary team
• Expecting one individual to come up with
  solutions results in limited team building
• Empower the teacher to participate and take
  ownership of the strategies suggested

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Thank You!

• Diana Carr
• Project Coordinator
• ALDI Initiative
• dianacarr_at_lbpsb.qc.ca
• 514-793-7076

• Julie Hobbs
• Team Leader
• School Administrators Support Team
• jhobbs_at_rsb.qc.ca
• 514-231-2566
• 514-873-3339 ex. 5522