Kelly+Rodney,+May+2011

JOURNAL REVIEW Kelly Rodney EDU 713 May 31, 2011

Reference: Griffin, C. C., Kilgore, K. L., Winn, J. A. & Otis-Wilborn, A. (2008). First-year special educators’ relationships with their general education colleagues. //Teacher Education Quarterly, Winter 2008, v35(1),// 141-157.

Introduction There is much documentation of the experiences, challenges and stresses of new teachers – in both general education and special education. As th**e** role of special educators in helping students with disability access the general curriculum continues to grow and evolve, it is important to understand the interactions between general education teachers and special educators, and the challenges and accomplishments that both influence and are influenced by these relationships. These early experiences can be a determining factor in a teacher’s increased commitment to or disillusionment with the profession. (Griffin et al, 2008) For this reason, researchers at the University of Florida-Gainesville (UFG) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) collaborated on exploring novice special education teachers’ perceptions of their relationships with their general education colleagues, key problems and accomplishments, and the correlations between these problems/accomplishments and their interactions and relationships. The Research Project The researchers conducted a three-year, federally-funded study; the first two years were spent collecting qualitative data from graduates of teacher education programs in special education at UFG and UWM, and the third year focused on administering a survey to all first-year special educators teaching in Florida and Wisconsin during the Spring of 2000.

Methods Qualitative data were compiled through a series of observations of 36 special education graduates in the classroom (24 from UFG, 12 from UWM) followed by interviews, as well as 1-2 hour interview sessions at the beginning and end of the school year. For this study, qualitative data from seven graduates were used, two each from self-contained, resource room/teaching subject area content, and inclusive environments, and one from a self-contained with mainstreaming setting.

Quantitative data were derived from a 31-item survey delivered via U.S. Mail in the final year of the study to all first-year special educators in Florida and Wisconsin. The 596 respondents ranked accomplishments and problems they experienced in their first year, identified classroom contexts, provided school setting characteristics, and reported personal and professional information. Results Survey results indicated statistically significant top accomplishments were student learning and communication/collaboration. Special educators who chose student learning and communication/ collaboration as top accomplishments indicated more positive and supportive relationships, and reported more frequent interactions with general education teachers.

First-year special educators who cited communication/collaboration among the top problems experienced, also indicated challenges with time, school climate, and advocacy for students. Not surprisingly, they rated their general education colleagues less favorably and reported fewer interactions and poorer relationships. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Discussion, Implications and Recommendations <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This research supports existing literature on first-year special educators, but takes it a step further in its recognition and discussion of the influence of the school context on novice teachers. A collaborative school culture that engenders supportive and positive relationships between general educators, special education teachers, and school administration facilitates professional development and contributes to enhanced teaching practices and curriculum improvements. For this reason, the authors suggest (a) providing pre-service special education teachers with opportunities for abstract learning about and real world opportunities for effective collaboration, (b) placement of novice special educators in schools that have been identified as collaborative, and (c) pairings with mentors who can provide support, assessment, and direction that promotes professional development and encourages long-term commitment. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">My Thoughts <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The researchers were wise to observe and interview first-year special educators across diverse settings. This serves to confirm the consistency of teacher perceptions regardless of their placements and validate findings in the research.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Although this article was published in 2008, the data was compiled in the Spring of 2000. I do wonder what differences might be noted were the data collected again today, following the reauthorization of IDEA in 2004. It would be interesting to see if the increased efforts in collaboration and co-teaching that are, in part, a result of those mandates, have impacted how novice teacher perceive first-year challenges and accomplishments.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I believe this research provides a good baseline for understanding what and how problems and accomplishments identified by first-year special educators are associated with their relationships and interactions with their general education colleagues. The strength in this research lies in its consideration of the school context and the long-term implications of providing novice special education teachers with necessary supports, tools, and mentoring. As special education continues to evolve in both potential and complexity, it behooves every teacher, specialist, and administrator charged with educating these students to make a deliberate effort to create effective collaborative environments. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Connections to Course Material <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In Chapter Three, Friend and Cook (2010) indicate that special education team functioning can be adversely affected by a variety of factors. Specifically detrimental to collaboration between special educators and general education teachers are a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration or trust, and a lack of professional experiences and training in collaboration. This is certainly supported by the findings of this research.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What is evident from this research and supported by Friend and Cook is the critical need for professional training and development in building collegial, collaborative teaching relationships and environments so that both general and special educators may clearly define their respective and collective roles in teaching students with disability. This must begin with teacher education programs that help preservice teachers develop an abstract understanding of collaboration, then provide real world field experiences that include being mentored, assessed, and given opportunity to practice and improve skills. Administrators, school systems and colleagues may then foster effective collaboration within the school environment by supporting, mentoring, and monitoring novice teachers (and veterans) to ensure continued development of skills. The net effect of building a culture of effective collaboration is teacher fulfillment, enthusiasm, and enhanced curriculum and teaching practices – all of which leads to the ultimate goal of improved student outcomes.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">References <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Friend, M. & Cooke, L. (2010). Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals (6th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.