In order for a collaborative team meeting to have the greatest impact for the maximum number of students, the creation and assignment roles can be a key structure. Without focus and intent, meetings can veer into what we have referred to as a collection of “war stories” about a student, devolving into discussion rather than action. Determining roles and then using the roles to keep team members accountable to the purpose of the collaborative team meeting is an important consideration.
Some roles could include:
- Facilitator – essentially keeps the focus for the meeting and ensures efficient, purposeful direction. Effective facilitation in a meeting is key and is often held by an administrator or team leader, particularly when first establishing collaborative team meetings in a school
- Timekeeper – ensures attentiveness is paid to time, increasing the efficiency of the meeting and the goal of determining supports for the maximum number of people possible
- Recorder – records notes during the meeting, noting actions, who is responsible and completion dates. Having these notes visible during the meeting (through projection) is a valuable consideration.
- Interrupter – shared by a previous school we worked with, the interrupter is charged with the task of interjecting with “yeah, but what are we going to do?” when conversations become overly extended or dive off on a tangent. This vital role can keep the team’s collective focus on action.
We have developed CTM Role Cards, that can be printed off and distributed during the meeting, as a physical reminder of an individual’s role in keeping the meeting purposeful and focused.
