Collaborative Teaming in the Secondary School.

Abstract

Team or group approaches have long been a valued part of the special service professions and have become increasingly popular structures for addressing highly diverse issues in schools. The term collaborative teaming seems to embody this concept of working together. Knackendoffel, Robinson, Deshler, and Schumaker (1992) described collaborative teaming as an ongoing process whereby educators with different areas of expertise work together voluntarily to create solutions to problems that are impeding students' success, as well as to carefully monitor and refine those solutions. In short, the major goal of collaborative teaming is to improve services to students whose needs are not being met satisfactorily when professionals act alone rather than in concert with others. The most productive collaborative relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect, and open communication. Central to these relationships are the following beliefs: