The Resource Specialist at my son s school says that she collaborates with his general education teacher. You may want to ask your son s special education teacher about the collaborative approaches she uses. Teach specific skills to improve performance, e.g., study strategies, organizational skills, etc. Different forms of collaboration are used at different times, depending on the needs and developmental stages of the child, the availability of parents and teachers, and personal preferences. When planning together, parents and teachers sometimes seem to be talking about different children.
Parents have more complete knowledge about their individual child.
Teachers are informed about learning and behavior appropriate for the age and grade level. Each sees the child in different settings and may have different expectations for performance. Both views need to be valued. Discuss skills to be learned rather than a level of achievement to be reached Keep notes of what has been discussed and agreed upon Plan for the future rather than dwell on the past Agree on a consistent home-school approach Through collaboration, teachers and parents learn from each other and work toward improving student performance. When this is done with mutual respect and trust, it becomes easier for them to reach their goal.