Forming Relationships: Supportive & Collaborative

Abstract The importance and influences of multifaceted relationships are highlighted as the author describes the pursuit and challenges of implementing an effective program for students with special needs. While discovering how to combine new learning with acquired and developed skills within a new teaching position, successful results in student learning manifest due to supportive and collaborative efforts. Based on her first hand experiences, observations, and review of research literature, this teacher/researcher provides a perspective of and for teachers engaging in an experience for the first time. Introduction This examination of a first year teacher's experiences in the Resource Specialist position at an elementary school is unique in that the teacher is not a beginner, but an 18-year general education veteran. The exploration of and inspiration from narrative research, influences from supportive/collaborative relationships, student learning, and personal learning combine to create this story. The thread of relationship is woven throughout. The goal: To incorporate current learning with a new role, sharing critical components with other Resource Specialists. To record this journey, a double entry journal was used to note observations and reflections. Daily occurrences, questions, frustrations, insights, surprises, and ideas for doing things differently were recorded. The chance to stop and reflect over several months duration was extremely valuable. This documentation served, as in Pinar's (1988) words, a precondition for knowing and a "concomitant condition to the understanding of others" (p. 150). Self-reflection provided opportunities to understand the needs of students and make adjustments in my teaching as well as reflect on interactions with others, resulting in the development and building of relationships necessary to be more effective in this new position. The school district's plan for duplication of an existing collaborative program at its other elementary school involving the Reading Specialist and Resource Specialist (RSP) teacher sparked enthusiasm and influenced my decision to apply for the available RSP position at my school site. In addition, it seemed a perfect opportunity to implement the teaching strategies for reading/writing that were gained throughout my Master's program. As noted by York-Barr and Kronberg (2002), because of the diversity and complexity of lives of our student population today, it is necessary to have a more varied perspective and approach for creating successful educational experiences. Sharing instructional responsibilities in a collaborative effort can provide a source to meet that need. The Reading Specialist and I were able to meet the needs of more students and classroom teachers through our collaborative efforts with a group of third grade students. The safe environment created by addressing their needs resulted in students making progress in their reading abilities. Support, Collaboration, and Learning The theme of relationship surfaces repeatedly throughout this experience. It is present from the beginning of the school year as I moved into a classroom with a new roommate (Reading Specialist) and a full time instructional assistant. Developing a relationship with students was also needed as I escorted them to my room to administer assessments and/or teach them for a portion of time each day. In addition, there were the countless collaborative relationships with classroom teachers, the school administrator, other specialists, and students' parents. Personal Learning While holding onto the idea "... that knowing self and others is central to teaching the child" (Gallego, Hollingsworth, & Whitenack, 2001), an attempt to discover answers to the query of How will I learn to become a Resource Specialist Teacher and incorporate what I'm learning in the Reading Specialist/Master's program into my role? …