Q2: What are 2-3 tips for collaborating with specialists?

<Anderson White>

When collaborating with specialists, the most important thing is to have open communication from the beginning of your year together. I have gained knowledge from my work with different specialists throughout my time teaching. It is important to feel comfortable asking questions and learning from their expertise. I also offer my honest opinions about what has been successful or challenging with a particular child to see if they are experiencing the same outcomes or behaviors during their time together. We will also brainstorm to see how we can tweak a strategy to better support a child. Remember that the specialists are only seeing a snapshot of the children’s learning and development and therefore it is helpful for teachers and other education staff to share our experiences since we spend a large portion of the day with the children. Another strategy that has been useful for me is to keep notes of what the specialists share and research their suggestions. We know that all children learn differently and some may require more creative thinking on our part in order to help them grow and be successful in our classrooms. When we are flexible in our thinking and willing to collaborate with a team, our children will have more opportunities to thrive.