Personal Philosophy Statement

Leigh Magdelinskas

Personal Philosophy Statement

The term collaboration is widely used across many domains- music,

art, education. The definition of collaboration can differ from domain to
domain; infact there are several miscommunications of the definition in the
field of education. Collaboration, as defined by Friend and Cook (2010) is a
style for direct interaction between at least two coequal parties, who
voluntarily engage in shared decision making as they work towards a
common goal.
Collaboration has many facets to it. Firstly, it is a style of interaction
and communication, it differs from its predecessor Consultation in that
manner. Secondly, collaboration is voluntary- even if there is a mandate or
rule from the school or district, each participant has to want to participate
and contribute. Third, collaboration requires parity amongst all participants.
Parity is fundamental to collaboration because parity establishes that each
participant is equal. Parity can be often difficult to establish. I can relate to
this first hand- it is difficult being a new educator or younger employee and
feeling that you are just as equal as the veterans or older employees. Gender
can also be a factor to hindering parity in the group. Fourth, collaboration is
based on at least one mutual goal. Each member of the group may have
different goals which may be motivated by their role in the school, but one
common goal must be present for collaboration to be possible.
Collaboration is very important in invoking change in schools. For
example, RTI would not be possible without the use of collaboration. There
are several participants in collaboration in forms of RTI, they may range from

Personal Philosophy Statement

the general education teacher, special education teacher, parents,

counselors, etc. RTIs aim is to identify students earlier with disabilities
instead of the previous wait to fail model. I, personally, believe that RTI is a
fantastic reform. I feel that its use will help students quicker before they fall
behind. I have seen this first hand where I teach. My school has an RTI team
that identifies students who are falling behind and provides intervention prior
to them failing or needing true special education acomodations. Every
student is a different learner so it is important to have different interventions
or ways to help the students succeed. It is imperative that the faculty and
staff of the school collaborate to ensure each student is given the same
opportunity for extra assistance and to excel. When students are identified
as having a disability and receive special education services, collaboration
becomes imperative.
Education laws such as NCLB and IDEA have requirements in the laws
that imply the use of collaboration. Those requirements include: access to
general education classroom and to receive services in the least restrictive
environment. For collaboration to be effective, there are several participants
that need to be involved. Some students may have more or less participants
involved, based upon their needs. , but Ggenerally speaking, the following
are involved: Special Education Teacher, General Education Teacher, Family
of the student, the Student, School Psychologist, OT/PT, Speech Therapist,
Reading Specialist, Resource Teacher, etc. Some, or all, of the players may
be part of the IEP team (IEP is another mandate set forth from IDEA.) Of the

Personal Philosophy Statement

above listed participants, I believe the student and family can often be most
over looked. Educators and Professionals may often fall in line with mandates
or requirements set forth by the state or district for education. I believe it is
very important to include the student and family in on all collaborative
measures because I feel this process should be person-centered and based
on the student. Yes, the mandates set forth by the state/district should be
followed, but not all students are the same, so the collaborative effort and
team is not the same for each either. Educators must also take into account
the different cultures and values of each student and family and how these
differences can play into the collobarative efforts.
There is evidence that collaboration improves student outcomes. I like
to think of collaboration as two heads are better than one. When resources,
ideas, and thoughts are pooled from multiple people and professionals, the
ideas and possibilities are endless. This is present in everyday life especially
in the classroom. In my classroom, we collaborate with a behavior specialist,
speech therapist, physical therapist, and the other Special Education
teachers. Each participant brings different ideas to the table from their own
respective; often times I hadnt thought of the suggestions they bring to the
table. , when a friend comes up with a solution to a problem that you may
not have thought of. Collaboration pools those different ideas, views, etc to
work towards the common goal- improving education and life for the student.
Collaboration is not always easy, however. Besides establishing parity,
power can also hinder an effective collaboration. Some participants may feel

Personal Philosophy Statement

they have more or less power than others and may not contribute as they
should. Others may not see the point of collaboration- perhaps they feel they
can work better alone. Participants, again, must all voluntarily work to make
collaboration possible. For myself, as a new educator, I feel intimidated by
this style because I do not yet feel confident that I can contribute. I do not
have the years experiences or education that others may bring this is my
issue with establishing parity for myself. However, I think the willingness to
work in a collaborative style and contribute as best as possible can help new
educators or participants in establishing parity for themselves.
I feel that collaboration is very important not just in the world, but
specifically the education system and special education as a whole. I am
aware of the potential issues associated with this style of work and
communication, but also of the wide array of benefits when it is used. I look
forward to becoming more confident in myself and exposed to collaboration,
and in turn, hope to become a productive and useful participant in
collaboration in my own school and classroom.