We understand that you're dedicated to fostering collaboration and improving classroom practices within your schools to support the needs of your students. That's why we're here to discuss a critical element of Collaborative Response…collaborative team meetings.
Collaborative team meetings are the linchpin of a successful school’s layers of collaborative structures and processes. They bring teachers and leaders together to focus on classroom practices while addressing student issues. There are a number of ways that you can introduce this critical structure and processes of the collaborative team meeting by emphasizing clarity, simplicity, and effective modeling.
Understanding the Purpose
First and foremost, let's unravel the purpose behind collaborative team meetings. These meetings are unlike your typical discussions about students. They are strategically designed to delve into the intricacies of classroom practice. When introducing this concept to your staff, make it crystal clear that, yes, you will be discussing students, but the true focus lies on improving classroom practices.
Collaborative team meetings are one of four layers of collaboration within Collaborative Response. These meetings are not intended to address the most intensive student needs. Instead, they create the foundation for building an effective support system for students and for staff. It's essential to consider where collaborative team meetings fit within your school's culture and readiness for change.
Simplify to Start
As you initiate collaborative team meetings, it's crucial to start small and go slow. Begin with a pre-meeting organizer and limit the focus to one student with a key issue. This simplification allows everyone to begin to grasp the process before adding on additional students and key issues. Below shows a simplified template that could be used when first introducing collaborative team meetings.
Simplified Pre-Meeting Organizer
Role clarification is another critical element of collaborative team meetings. During the initial meetings, focus on three essential roles: the facilitator, the note-taker, and the timekeeper. These roles ensure a streamlined discussion and are integral to moving the conversation forward. Over time, consider adding more roles based on your team's unique needs, but start with these three to avoid overwhelming your staff.
We often stress the importance of creating norms, but don't rush to establish them from day one. Allow your team to experience the meeting first and focus on the process. After a few collaborative team meetings, co-create norms that will help ensure the success of future discussions. Keep in mind that a manageable process is key to a successful beginning.
In this podcast, Kurtis Hewson discusses creating psychological safety for staff as they build their collective efficacy.
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Modeling the Process
Modeling the collaborative team meeting process is essential for its successful adoption. There are several ways to do this:
- Sample Meetings: Share sample collaborative team meetings video clips to allow staff to observe a collaborative team meeting in action. This section of our website includes two sample video clips to observe, as well as supporting resources. It also includes an observation organizer to use when staff are noting specific structures and processes they observe in the team meeting.
- Mock Meetings: Conduct mock meetings with a select group of staff members. These mock meetings allow participants to simulate the process and identify areas that need improvement. The benefit of mock meetings is that they offer a risk-free learning experience. Consider using the observation organizer for participants observing, as shared in the link above.
- Leadership Involvement: Leaders play a pivotal role in guiding the collaborative team meeting process. Initially, leaders should take on the role of the facilitator. This allows for redirection and ensures that the process remains on track. Over time, leaders can gradually hand over this responsibility to other team members.
Learning through observation and practice is an effective way to introduce collaborative team meetings to your staff. It may take time for everyone to become comfortable with the process, but the investment is well worth it.
A common question asked by leaders, excited to bring Collaborative Response to their organization, is “where do I start?”.
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Introducing collaborative team meetings is a powerful step towards improving supports for all students in your school. Communicate the purpose clearly, keep the process simple, and model the process effectively. These three principles will set the stage for a successful implementation. We understand that every school is unique, and the path to embracing collaborative team meetings may differ. However, we're here to support you every step of the way.
If you have any questions or need additional guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out. Email or .
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