BALTIMORE — When educators operate with separate goals and don't engage in authentic collaboration, it creates friction and can ultimately hurt student progress, said Casey Watts, an educator and team leadership expert, in the opening keynote address at the Council for Exceptional Children's annual convention on Wednesday.
"I believe that people deserve to be part of collaborative teams that move forward, make an impact together and leave them feeling empowered, inspired and essential," said Watts, who is also a pre-K-5 instructional coach at Hudson Independent School District in Lufkin, Texas.
When educators and administrators are siloed, there can be an "us versus them" mentality, she said. "I believe that when we function in silos as educators, we unintentionally create silos in our students."
To dismantle barriers between general and special educators and between teachers and administrators, Watts recommends three core concepts:
Have an 'elevator pitch'
Maintaining a strong sense of identity and purpose in your work can help eliminate ambiguities and assumptions others have of your role at school, Casey said. This goes for all educators in the school, including special education teachers, general education teachers, counselors, administrators and others.
To ensure clarity, educators should work on their "elevator pitch," or a brief summary of their role in the school. "When you create an elevator pitch, what you are essentially doing is pulling people in to become the main character of the story, and you are addressing their pain points, and you're giving them new narratives for your position, which in essence, is bridging the gaps that exist between us as adults in education," Watts said.
In developing their elevator pitches, educators should think about how their role serves others in the school building and the skills they offer to educators and students.
Engage in authentic collaboration
Authentic collaboration is easier said than done, Watts said. And some "faux collaborations" can seem promising — such as an offer to share resources and materials — but really don't break down barriers among educators.
True collaboration takes courage and vulnerability and can include difficult conversations. It also means using everyone's strengths and listening to all voices, she said.
Establishing protocols where each person in the school community is a contributor can help break down silos, Watts said.
Bring clarity to goals
When everyone is on the same path, they know where the team is headed and how to get there. But when goals are unclear or the path is uncertain, people can get off track or operate independently, Watts said.
When that happens, teachers go into their classrooms, close the door and vow to do what's best for their students. But that can lead to unintentional gaps in student learning.
"As I work with teams in districts across the nation, I hear so often leaders say 'our teachers just won't get on board,'" Watts said. "On the flip side of that, I'm hearing from teachers and staff who are saying the opposite: 'We just never know what's going on.' There are two different narratives at play."
A lack of clarity creates unproductive confusion, Watts said. As a result, educators and administrators might lack confidence and feel defeated, frustrated and distrustful, she said.
Setting out clear goals will boost confidence and capacity in educators, resulting in a collective efficacy, Watts said. That, in turn, will have "a significant impact on student learning," she said.
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