Understanding Collaboration-Team Roles and Responsibilities

Field Experience A: Understanding Collaboration-Team Roles and Responsibilities

1. The rights and responsibilities of individuals with exceptionalities, parents, teachers, and other professionals, and schools related to exceptionalities; As case managers and teachers of students with exceptionalities, we are responsible for supporting these students and their learning as well as their social and emotional needs. 
2. Identify the role of families, community members, and school professionals in the educational process; It is important to always include parents/guardians in the conversation and the life of the student at the school. It is also important that all adults in the student’s life understand how to best serve them while being conscious of their exceptional needs. 
3. Any issues, assurances, and due process rights related to assessment, eligibility, and placement within a continuum of services; Students should be placed in their least restrictive environment in order to be served fairly. We must be aware of evaluation and reevaluation processes in order to make sure that the child is continuing to be served appropriately. We also must be sure that the accommodations that we are offering in the classroom are being offered in all testing environments. 
4. How the individual upholds high standards of competence and integrity and exercises sound judgment in the practice of the professional; This is referring to making sure that we are maintaining legal timelines as well as the documentation appropriate for our caseload. It is also making sure that we are keeping the child’s needs at our forefront. 
5. How the individual addresses ethics in advocating for appropriate services; We are required to understand and know the options for our caseload. We should know and understand the placement as well as the placement alternatives if that is necessary. This is a conversation with our team including a psychologist after testing and evaluation. 
6. How the individual uses verbal, nonverbal, and written language effectively in communicating with IEP team members; As case managers, we are required to connect with people before, during, and after the IEP meeting and throughout the school year. It is important that each member feels like they can come to the case manager about the child and receive appropriate support and recourse after a discussion or meeting. I often meet people in person if possible, but email is easier for most people to respond at their own time including parents. 
7. How the individual utilizes models and strategies of consultation and collaboration; Being a SPED teacher requires you to think about the child’s success in a more personal and connected way. IRR teachers especially must be in constant communication about each child’s struggles and successes in order to support them fully and consistently.
8. How the individual addresses concerns of families of individuals with exceptionalities and strategies used to help address these concerns; This conversation is crucial and should happen before or during the IEP meeting. Families must be open in their struggles and their positive methods in working or encouraging their child. This conversation can be one-time or on-going. My most successful connections with family this year have been a genuine openness and “calling it what it is” kind of attitude. For some parents, they just want to know that we’re doing the best we can even if it doesn’t seem like it’s making a difference at the time. 
9. How the individual uses group problem-solving skills to develop, implement, and evaluate collaborative activities. I enjoy collaborating and see a greater need for it now as an IRR teacher. I think we constantly need to be thinking, “OK – what’s another alternative?” Sometimes it’s a quicker decision. It might be a daily situation that changes over time, or it could be something that you see a temporary change for. But, we are required as case managers to see this need and make a decision to best serve the child and his/her success in their environment. Not all people involved may see a reason for a specific decision, but, in truth, I tend to always consider the parent, myself, and a LEA when developing, implementing, and evaluating these activities for a child. 

Rabiah Hogans, BSAcc.,  MBA

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