As I look back at the year, my greatest challenge has been coordinating teaching efforts with the many specialists I work with each week.
In schools today, not only the classroom teacher educates children, but multiple specialists do the job as well.
The classroom teacher is responsible for the overall coordination of the schedule and efforts, and specialist teachers, coaches, and interventionists are responsible for specific targets. The goal is to work together well in an effort to craft an engaging, responsive program for each child.
As I analyze the problem, I want to start with time. The chart on the left demonstrates time-on-task efforts, planning/prep, professional learning and lunch. Essentially a classroom teacher has about a 1:6 ratio of planning time to time-on-task with multiple children. If you add lunch periods, the teacher has about 1/5 time to meet (including lunch), prep, and plan, and about 4/5 time on task. That ratio leaves little time for planning each lesson, personalizing curriculum for each child, and meeting to coordinate efforts with multiple specialists. Yet, simply knowing the specifics about the time available can help one to plan for the best possible collaboration and coordination. 
Also, time up front to determine schedules, targets, goals, meetings, and communication protocols will help to focus efforts in optimal ways. Ideally that time would happen at the very start of the school year before students start their year. That's one way to start the year with strength. Using a chart like the one on the right would aid that effort. Also the following questions can serve to ignite the initial conversation:
- What are your overall goals this year with regard to student learning?
- What students or skills are you targeting, and what are the specific targets?
- How can we work well together to meet our collective goals and teach children well?
- What communication protocols will lead our collaboration? How do you prefer to communicate? When is after hours communication welcomed, and when is it not welcome?
- How often will we meet, and what will the focus of our meetings include?
After school time needs to be considered carefully. Some teachers are able and willing to devote countless after school hours of time to plan, prep, and coordinate classroom efforts while others are unwilling or unable to devote those hours. After school hours/weekend efforts and communication can be face-to-face for some or digital for others. It's essential to determine up front what a teacher's availability and interest is with regard to after hours work and effort as that can be a challenging point for teacher coordination and collaboration.
Optimal coordination depends on communication and shared goals. Analyzing the time available, then creating focused protocols and shared goals can lead one in a positive direction in this regard. I look forward to a renewed focus on collaboration and communication in the new year--one that I hope will serve to teach children well.
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