Synopses & Reviews
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Collaborative teaming is the glue that holds an inclusive school together, but most teachers don't get the training they need to put this critical process to work. Schools can fulfill that need with the new edition of this book, an easy-to-use guide to forming effective collaborative teams that help stimulate students' academic progress and social behavior in general education. Educators will learn how to
- select team members (educators, parents, counselors, SLPs, paraprofessionals, and others)
- define the team's purpose and focus
- schedule and preserve time for teaming, and
- facilitate smooth communication during team meetings
Teachers will also get new and expanded information to help them
- identify problems, decide on solutions, and create action plans
- work cooperatively with family members and paraprofessionals
- co-teach with other professionals
- avoid or resolve conflict
Filled with vignettes that show the strategies and suggestions in action, this guidebook will increase teacher motivation for collaborative teaming, bring about better decisions and outcomes, and facilitate the active involvement and learning of all students.
The book is part of theBrookes Publishing Teachers’ Guides to Inclusive Practices series
Review
"Provides an excellent array of practical information, ideas, and strategies . . . a must have for professionals committed to successful collaboration and inclusive practice." Richard A. Villa, Ed.D.
Synopsis
One of five short, to-the-point books in an inclusive practices series, this easy-to-read manual shows educators how to form effective collaborative teams.
About the Author
Rachel Janney, Ph.D., has worked with children and adults with disabilities in a number of capacities, including special education teacher, camp counselor, educational consultant, and researcher. She received her master's degree from Syracuse University and her doctorate from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Dr. Janney now teaches courses in special education, supervises student teachers, and coordinates the undergraduate program in special education at Radford University. She also serves as Co-director of the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) for Professionals Serving Individuals with Disabilities at Radford University. The T/TAC, part of a statewide technical assistance network that is funded by the Virginia Department of Education, provides a variety of services and resources to special education teams in school divisions throughout southwest Virginia. Dr. Snell and coauthor Dr. Janney have conducted several research projects in inclusive schools and classrooms. The focus of these projects has been on the ways that special and general education teachers work together to design and implement adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities placed in inclusive settings. Both authors are frequent presenters of workshops on topics related to successful inclusive education.
Martha E. Snell, Ph.D., is a professor in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia where she has taught since 1973. Her focus is special education and, specifically, the preparation of teachers of students with mental retardation and severe disabilities and young children with disabilities. Prior to completing her doctoral degree in special education at Michigan State University, she worked with children and adults with disabilities as a residential child care worker, a teacher, and a provider of technical assistance to school and residential programs. In addition to teaching coursework at the undergraduate and graduate levels, she currently coordinates the special education program, supervises teachers in training, provides in-service training to teachers and parents in schools and agencies, conducts research, serves on the boards of several community agencies serving people with disabilities, and is an active member of the American Association on Mental Retardation and TASH (formerly The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps).
Table of Contents
- Overview of Collaborative Teaming
- Building Team Structure
- Learning Teamwork Skills
- Problem-Solving and Action Planning
- Coordinating Team Action
- Teaching Collaboratively
- Improving Communication and Handling Conflict
References
Appendix: Blank Forms