# data[].attributes.headline
Methodologies regarding working together 

# data[].attributes.subject
Methodologies regarding working together 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Interactive Learning to Improve Student Engagement - TeachHUB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Educators are always looking for new ways to excite their students about learning. Explore using interactive learning to improve student engagement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Partner With Families and Children All Year Round - Attendance Works

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Consider these ideas and resources for cultivating family engagement and leadership as well as raising awareness about why paying attention to attendance matters for success in school.

# data[].attributes.headline
Methodologies regarding working together 

# data[].attributes.subject
Methodologies regarding working together 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Collaborative Learning?

After reading this guide, you will better understand collaborative learning.

You will get actionable tips on how to improve and implement collaborative learning within your organisation.

Discover:

The definition of collaborative learning
Collaborative learning is the educational approach of using groups to enhance learning through working together. Groups of two or more learners work together to solve problems, complete tasks, or learn new concepts. This approach actively engages learners to process and synthesize information and concepts, rather than using rote memorization of facts and figures.
Learners work with each other on projects, where they must collaborate as a group to understand the concepts being presented to them.

Through defending their positions, reframing ideas, listening to other viewpoints and articulating their points, learners will gain a more complete understanding as a group than they could as individuals.

Collaborative vs. cooperative learning: What is the difference?

There is some confusion about what the difference is between these two types of learning.

In fact, cooperative learning is a type of collaborative learning, which is why at first glance, the two might seem similar.

The difference between cooperative learning and collaborative learning is that, in cooperative learning, participants are responsible for a specific section of their own learning and success, and also that of the group as a whole.

They must use their knowledge and resources to make sure that all team members understand the concepts that they are learning.

The roles and structure of cooperative learning are predefined, and are often likened to the cast and crew of a theatre production: the success of the show depends on all of the interconnected roles supporting each other, but there is a director overseeing the project closely.

To think about collaborative learning in terms of roles within an organisation, in software development, a group of junior developers has a task to learn a new framework, then develop part of a program while using it. Each developer has their own part of the code to develop, but their work will only be successful if everybody learns and performs their part properly. Even though each person has a separate role in the work, the entire group has a stake in the success of others.

In collaborative learning, individual participants must also take responsibility for their team learning and succeeding, but their roles, resources, and organisation is left up to them. There is no director to administer the rules of engagement, so the group itself must self-direct.

The benefits of collaborative learning

Why use collaborative learning? Because every organisation can benefit from having an energized and informed workforce.

There are many benefits of collaborative learning, both for the organisation as a whole and the learners as individuals.

The organisational benefits of collaborative learning

1. Develops self-management and leadership skills

When individuals are tasked with working together to achieve a common goal, they are being given the opportunity to develop high-level skills.

While having to organize, assign, and teach, they are learning how to manage both themselves and others while leading in a productive fashion.

2. Increases employee skills and knowledge

When employees participate in collaborative learning, they are developing a wide range of skills and knowledge.

Not only will they strengthen their existing skills by having to teach others, they in turn will learn new skills from other employees.

This reduces the need for formal training while encouraging employees to continually upskill in known concepts and engage with new concepts.

3. Improves relationships across teams and departments

When individuals have limited contact across teams, it is difficult to foster connections and teamwork.

Collaborative learning across teams forces individuals to develop new connections and find ways to work together.

This can be especially beneficial for organisations that depend on remote workers, as fostering strong connections among distant workers can be difficult.

4. Improves knowledge acquisition and retention

Studies have shown that utilizing collaborative learning may lead to increased involvement and better retention of knowledge.

The process of collaborative learning allows participants to achieve higher levels of thought and the information is retained much longer than when learned in a non-collaborative setting.

5. Improves employee retention and promotes workplace engagement

Employees that are given the opportunity to learn new skills tend to be more satisfied in their work, and are less likely to seek out other opportunities.

Satisfied employees are more productive and will engage in their work, leading to increased efficiency and output.

The individual benefits of collaborative learning

1. Turns learning into a truly active process

The learner must organize their thoughts, present a cohesive argument to demonstrate their point, defend that point to their peers, and convince others that their argument is correct.

This active engagement means that the individual learns, and retains, more knowledge.

2. Promotes learning from others viewpoints

Learners benefit from hearing diverse viewpoints.

Studies show that when a person is exposed to diverse viewpoints, especially from people with varied backgrounds, they learn more.

3. Teaches how to think critically and quickly

The learner must quickly synthesize responses and, if they find that their argument is lacking, adjust their ideas on the fly.

Individuals learn how to think critically and quickly, while intaking new information and adjusting their own viewpoint as new ideas are introduced.

4. Promotes listening to criticism and advice

The learner will also listen to others talking through their ideas, offering their thoughts for or against their peers' arguments.

This dynamic approach means that learners gain a more full understanding of the topic, as they have to consider it from all angles.

5. Develops public speaking and active listening skills

Individuals learn to speak well in front of an audience of their peers, to listen actively, to challenge ideas and build a framework of ideas in conjunction with others.

This increased social ease will help individuals both socially and at work.

6. Improves cooperation

When given a specific goal, learners are more likely to engage in thoughtful discussion with each other, improving both their understanding of the subject and their esteem for each other.

Examples of collaborative learning activities

There are many ways to foster collaborative learning within an organisation:

1. Evaluating training systems

Within teams or departments, pair newer employees with more senior ones.

Have them work together to evaluate the training systems currently in place, assess flaws in the system, and develop recommendations on how to effectively update the training to better serve the organisation and its employees.

2. Solving problems across teams

Bring together various teams and present them with a problem to solve.

This might be how to develop a new feature for a product, what changes should be actioned on an existing software, or instituting a new training program.

Outline what results you would like to see in broad terms, then let the teams work.

At the end, the teams will present what they have developed, justify their choices, and outline their plans to accomplish the task.

3. Developing new products

When it comes to developing new products, collaborative learning can be a massive asset.

Teams can work together to identify relevant niches, brainstorm solutions, and create product concepts.

After presenting their products, a question and answer session can help develop the idea further, as they defend their ideas, respond to criticism, and sharpen their pitch.

4. Explaining concepts to other departments

Have departmental teams create a presentation that teaches their work to the other departments.

They should present the work that they do, the problems that they solve, and present some ongoing concepts that they are working on.

Other departments will participate in a question and answer session, giving the benefit of their experience to help solve ongoing issues while also learning more about how the organisation works as a whole.

5. Build a collaborative learning community

A collaborative learning community is an environment that fosters working together to solve problems, prioritizes open communication and gives individuals many opportunities to both learn from and teach others.

An organisation that chooses to provide these opportunities on a regular basis will create a collaborative learning community, in which individuals will actively participate in collaborative learning.

Good examples of collaborative learning activities will have clear instructions, a set goal, mid-sized groups of three to five individuals and flexible rules, so that groups can experiment within themselves and work with open communication.

Collaborative learning theories

While there are some differences between collaborative learning theories, as a whole, collaborative learning is underpinned by the concept that learning is a naturally social act, and that learning occurs through talking, attempting to solve problems, and seeking to understand the world.

To begin, we will look at the first theories of collaborative learning, which were concerned with how children learn. Later theories took into account how adults continue to cognitively develop throughout their lives.

Vygotsky's theory of social development

Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory puts an emphasis on the importance of social interaction for the development of learning and cognition.
He believed that community was an important factor in the process of creating meaning and knowledge.
Vygotsky's theory approaches learning from a sociocultural viewpoint, arguing that individual development does not happen without being informed by social and cultural contexts.

He proposed that speech plays a major role in the development of thought, with conversations with more knowledgeable people driving forward understanding and cognition.

An important aspect of Vygotsky's social learning theory is the Zone of Proximal Development.

This is the idea that, if you visualise what a person can and cannot do as zones, between those zones is a third zone, known as the zone of proximal development. This is what a person is able to learn, but needs guidance to be able to do so.

It is in this zone that new skills, in the process of development, are found. When a person has access to other people who will teach them, they will learn the skills found in their zone of proximal development.

Vygotsky also developed the concept of the More Knowledgeable Other ( MKO).

More Knowledgeable Other is a person who already has the knowledge or experience that the learner is seeking. It could be a parent, teacher or older adult, but could just as easily be a peer.

It is through interactions with this person that a learner can see desired behaviours modeled or receive important information.

Vygotsky termed this as collaborative dialogue, as the learner seeks knowledge, internalises the information provided by the More Knowledgeable Other, then uses that information to guide their own actions.

More Knowledgeable Others allow the learner to operate within the Zone of Proximal Development.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development

Jean Piaget set out to understand how infants and children develop their understanding of their world, and how they become able to use reason and thought to develop hypotheses.
His theory states that, as children grow, they construct an understanding of the world around them, experience discrepancies between their understanding and their experiences, then correct those discrepancies through reorganizing their mental processes.
Piaget developed the concept of ' schemas,' which he defined as units of knowledge, the basic building blocks that allow humans to organize knowledge and understand complex concepts.

He defined a schema as "a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning."

He believed that there are some innate schemas, such as the sucking response of newborn infants, and others that are acquired through experience.

For Piaget, the cognitive development of a person was directly connected to the number and depth of their schemata.

As children develop, they use their schemata to process the world around them using assimilation and accommodation. In assimilation, a child uses an existing schema to handle a new object, situation or interaction. Accommodation is when a child finds that their existing schema does not work for the new object, and so the schema is changed.

Piaget believed that this is driven by a need for equilibrium, which in turn drives development. Equilibrium is the state in which a child's existing schemata can handle most new information in the assimilation process. When that doesn't happen, disequilibrium will commence and the child will be uncomfortable. The child will respond to that by seeking to adjust, through the process of accommodation, and will master new knowledge through that process.

To Piaget, the processes of assimilation and accommodation require an active learner, as the child must seek to discover the problem-solving skills they need. In this process, the child must interact with physical and social environments to learn.

Piaget's four-stage cognitive development process

Piaget also presented a four-stage cognitive development process, which he believed must happen before learning could commence.
1. Sensorimotor
From birth to two years, is the stage where a child learns to form mental representations.

This is when a child will develop object permanence.
2. Preoperational
From two to seven years, is the development of symbolic thinking.
3. The concrete operational stage
From seven to eleven years, is the beginning of using logic to work things out in their head, rather than needing to learn concepts physically.
4. The formal operational stage
It begins at age eleven, it's a stage when full logical cognition is possible, including working out complex hypotheses.

Piaget versus Vygotsky: What is the difference?

While both Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that cognitive development comes in stages and has roots in both nature and nurture, they differed on some key points.

1. Piaget believed that a child drives their own cognitive development, as children have an innate tendency to adapt to new experiences, whereas Vygotsky believed that social interaction is what drives the cognitive development of children.

2. Piaget thought that children learn best when allowed to use self-discovery and active learning, and Vygotsky thought that instruction and guidance were key to a child's learning.

3. Vygotsky also posited that different cultures and periods of time have an impact on cognitive development, while Piaget thought that it was the same universally.

4. Piaget also thought that, while the stages of development are more or less set, children will only proceed to learning when they are ready, and Vygotsky believed that development could be accelerated by using the zone of proximal development and more knowledgeable others.

An essential difference is that Piaget thought that the result of cognitive development was language, Vygotsky thought that language was the key to cognitive development.

There is evidence that a child being exposed to guided learning within Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development shows greater understanding than a child learning alone within Piaget's discovery learning framework, according to a study conducted in 1990 by Freund.

Kegan's Cognitive Developmental Theory

The developmental theories discussed above center around cognitive development in children. It was previously thought that cognitive development ended around 25, but there are some who believe that it is a lifelong process.

Robert Kegan posited that it is possible for people to continually develop the systems they use to create meaning by transforming the way that they interact with the world.

He developed five stages that put an emphasis on transitioning from a subject (I am) to object (I have) framework.

According to Kagan, the subject framework does not allow self-reflection, as it is too closely held for objectivity to happen. It can include beliefs, behaviours and assumptions about the world.

The object framework allows a person to detach from the concept, reflect upon it, and consider it objectively. This exercise of transitioning framework, according to Kegan, drives cognitive development.

Simply put, Kagan theorised that becoming an adult means transitioning to higher stages of development.

This means developing an independent sense of self, and gaining the traits associated with wisdom and social maturity.

An adult with a high stage of development is in control of their behavior, is self-aware, and is able to more effectively manage their relationships and the social factors affecting them.

Kegan's five stages are:
1. Impulsive mind
This stage is early childhood, where impulses drive action.
2. Imperial mind
Subject: Is needs, interests, wants
Object: Has impulses, perceptions

This is the adolescent stage, although some adults remain here.

Relationships are transactional, and self-interest is the driving force behind all behaviour.

Actions are driven by outside consequences, rather than internal belief systems.
3. Socialised mind
Subject: Is mutuality, interpersonal relationships
Object: Has needs, interests, wants

This is the stage where most people are, according to Kegan.

This stage is dominated by external sources, such as other people, groups and the society around us as a whole, and what they think of us.

The culturally prescribed way of living is paramount to a socialised mind, regardless of personal desire.
4. Self-authoring mind
Subject: Is self-definition, personal autonomy
Object: Has mutuality, interpersonal relationships

At this stage, a person is able to self-define.

They are not swayed by the opinions of society, and will decide for themselves who they are, what they stand for, and how they should behave.
5. Self-transforming mind
Subject: Simply is
Object: Has self-definition, personal autonomy

Kegan believes that only 1% of adults reach this stage.

At stage 5, the sense of self is not static, but is instead able to constantly adjust and react as new information, interactions and experiences are processed.

Summary

In an organisation, it is ideal to give your employees the tools to transition to the upper stages.

Fostering growth within an organization has many proven benefits, including increased output, higher employee retention, and better employee satisfaction.

Transitioning to the upper stages involves curiosity, critical thinking and openness to new ideas and concepts, all of which are desirable traits to curate in a workforce.

Collaborative learning research and articles

1. Collaborative learning in the workplace: Practical issues and concerns

2. Collective Learning in the Workplace: Important Knowledge Sharing Behaviours

3. Improving Collaborative Learning and Global Project Management in Small and Medium Enterprise

4. A Change Theory: Key Concepts for Understanding the Work of Robert Kegan

5. Lev Vygotsky

6. Jean Piaget

7. Collaborative learning

8. The benefits of collaborative learning

9. Active and Collaborative Learning

10. Collaborative learning: What is it?

11. Part 1: How To Be An Adult- Kegan's Theory of Adult Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Collaborative Learning? Theory, Examples of Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn what collaborative learning is and what benefits it brings. Discover examples of collaborative learning activities. Cooperative vs. collaborative learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Early childhood learning theories/pedagogies and how to choose

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The following are the most commonly referenced and known early childhood learning theories/pedagogies out there.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Schools play an integral role in every community. And since children eventually grow up to become members of those same communities, it stands to reason that communities should take an active role in ensuring schools deliver optimal learning environments to ensure happy, healthy, successful students.

While families and community partners often donate their time and resources to help schools thrive, the responsibility for driving community engagement lies with the schools and their school districts. In this short blog post, we explore the importance of encouraging community involvement in schools and provide tips on successfully doing just that.

Successful schools understand the importance of establishing good and harmonious relationships with their surrounding community, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). And for good reason-community involvement in schools can help increase access to learning opportunities, boost student retention, promote optimism among teachers, and improve attendance rates of children at school.

Community-based initiatives can help students gain access to learning opportunities they would not have had otherwise. The Catapult Canada Access Innovation Fund (CCAIF) is a great example of this. It is a government-sponsored initiative that recognizes the importance of community involvement in schools. It provides funding to community-based organizations that focus on how young people learn, how they engage at school, and the tools they use to learn.

Northern Youth Abroad is one community-based organization receiving CCAIF funding to implement a pilot project that will connect over 20 Indigenous students from across the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon to learning opportunities and academic and other supports at Camosun College in British Columbia.

Community is all about creating a sense of belonging. Having a sense of belonging means that students feel accepted, valued, and included by their teachers and peers and consider themselves an important part of their academic community. They are motivated to learn and engage with their course, leading to greater attainment and progression, and improved academic achievement. Research shows that nurturing a sense of belonging amongst students is at the heart of any successful student retention strategy.

A study of urban elementary schools in Virginia found that community engagement boosted optimism and confidence among teachers. The improved attitude of teachers in turn led to improved student achievement.

When students feel that they do not belong to a strong community, it can negatively affect their learning experience-and their attendance rates.

Some groups of students are more likely to feel lower levels of belonging. Those who identify as LGBTQIA+, who have a disability, or who are from different cultural, language, or ethnic backgrounds than their peers often feel underrepresented and are less likely to do well than others, even when their previous academic achievement is the same.

Community involvement in schools can help with this. When students in minority groups see themselves represented in the wider community-and see the involvement of that community in their school-learning experiences and attendance rates are greatly improved.

Are you an equity-minded leader? Get our Guide to Creating Equity in Education.

Building and sustaining community involvement in schools is difficult. While educators, families, and community partners genuinely care about student success and well-being, they often have conflicting ideas about how to achieve the best outcomes:

A teacher may not know what's happening in a student's life outside of class that may impact success and well-being

A parent may not understand or agree with a teacher's approach to delivering the curriculum

A local business may not understand the importance of supporting its local school to ensure future employees have a well-rounded education

To enhance the community's participation in education, it is essential to promote a school environment where community members feel welcomed, respected, trusted, heard, and needed. Here are some ways to do that:

A school's community is made up of formal committee groups such as School Management Committees (SMC), Village Education Committees (VEC), School Development Committees (SDC), and Parent and Teachers Associations (PTA) as well as informal groups of community members who can get involved in the school through special activities or events.

Both sets of community groups bring important perspectives to the table-the formal groups bring perspectives informed by the inner workings of the school, and the informal groups bring perspectives from the wider community.

Community-inclusive processes like participatory decision-making (PDM) cultivate a broad range of perspectives to inform decision-making.

Encourage participation from all community groups in events and provide them with opportunities to contribute to decision-making by using unbiased discussion management tools. Diverse perspectives result in better decisions and help build social capital.

Illinois' Elgin School District U-46 is committed to providing an inclusive environment for all students-especially those who have been historically marginalized and missed out on learning opportunities as a result.

When a group of African American students explained they didn't feel represented by the school curriculum and requested a mandatory African American Studies course, the school nominated Dr. Teresa A. Lance, Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Innovation as the champion for inclusive, equitable education and she got to work, engaging the community for input into the new course.

Dr. Lance knew from experience that African American history was either missing or insufficiently covered in K-12 education and that representation matters as it relates to student outcomes and their sense of belonging.

She used enterprise discussion management software to reach out to all students, gathering their ideas and perspectives, and received an incredible response from 1,321 participants, including almost 800 ideas and over 10,000 ratings to help inform the direction of the new course content.

Managing polarized communities and political divides? Get tips from leaders who've been there in our Women of Color in Leadership webinar replay.

Community awareness campaigns help parents and community members understand the benefits of their involvement with their local schools. They also inform community members about the different levels and types of involvement opportunities, policies, and programs. If your community is bilingual or trilingual, translate the information to ensure inclusivity and boost representation across all groups.

UNESCO recommends that community members and school staff feel responsible for the success of community awareness campaigns. Arrange regular and open meetings about the school to share important information such as results, funds, and activities to keep people accountable for any goals set.

Schools are natural centers for activity in any neighborhood. They are typically viewed as inviting, safe places where people of all ages can come to access education, health services, recreation, and culture. These community hubs promote the well-being of children, their families, and the entire community.

Founded in 1962, Palenque LSNA (formally known as the Logan Square Neighborhood Association) explored ways to improve economic conditions in the Logan Square neighborhood and realized the local public schools-comprised of 90% Latinx and 95% low-income students-played a key role in connecting and strengthening its community and vice versa.

In the early 1990s, the association formed an education committee to support schools and organized families, teachers, and principals around a campaign that-through the power of community involvement-opened five elementary school annexes and two new middle schools to relieve severe overcrowding in local schools.

The association also rallied its community to facilitate the creation of a parent mentor program that trains mothers, mainly immigrants, as paid classroom assistants while also providing leadership development training and a welcoming community. The parent mentor program has since spread to seven other schools, and more than 1,300 parents have graduated from the program.

Today, students benefit from community involvement in schools facilitated by Palenque LSNA initiatives like the youth leadership program, community learning centers, and more.

When we asked education leaders how the last two years have changed their approach to work, one central theme emerged: communication and relationship building with the community is critical.

Building strong relationships with community members, parents, and students is an education leader's most important job. So, what are you doing to build these relationships?

Giving communities a neutral platform to share their ideas and opinions is an excellent place to start. However, it can be difficult for schools to connect with the diversity of their community using traditional methods like town hall meetings, surveys, and focus groups. Fortunately, new online engagement platforms like ThoughtExchange have made it much more manageable.

An unbiased discussion management platform provides community members with a safe and convenient way to share and learn from the diverse thoughts and ideas of others.

"If ThoughtExchange were a person, I would hug them. I used it in my previous district as a superintendent. What I love about ThoughtExchange is that there's this opportunity for ideas to be put out anonymously, and then a coalescing around ideas-and that's what I was looking for. I wasn't looking for a Likert scale. I wasn't looking to lead students by saying, here's what should be included-do you agree or disagree?"
~Dr. Teresa A. Lance, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Innovation Elgin Area School District 46

Modern discussion management platforms like ThoughtExchange provide schools with the tools they need to increase engagement, inform better decision-making, increase public trust and confidence, and improve learning outcomes for students.

Learn more about building community involvement in schools. Download The New Superintendent's Guide to Community Engagement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Promoting Community Involvement in Schools | ThoughtExchange

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schools play an integral role in every community. And since children eventually grow up to become members of those same communities, it stands to reason that communities should take an active role in ensuring schools deliver optimal learning environments to ensure happy, healthy, successful students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Methodologies regarding working together 

# data[].attributes.subject
Methodologies regarding working together 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It can be defined as learning that involves working as a group to solve a problem or understand an idea. When used effectively in the classroom, this type of learning ensures students remain engaged in content while thinking critically and sharing ideas with their peers.

When we cogitate on the end result of education, students have to be provided with skills that will prepare them for the world of work (Herrity, 2023).

However, before we step further into the value of collaborative learning, we need to bear in mind that, ' A first step to learning how to collaborate, is learning how to "be together".'This means determining the norms that influenceour behavio u r (Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners. 2019).

Collaborative learning involves students learning in pairs or small groups through different learning activities.As opposed to teacher-centred, it is student-centric providing children with a sense of autonomy over their educational process.

What makes collaboration in early childhood education vital is that when children share combined attention in activities, the process provides a major cognitive challenge in itself. (Hilkemeijer, 2023).

From experience, when including activities that accommodate for collaboration within the classroom setting, it is clearly evident that it improves students' communication skills and serves as a motivating agent that drives their self-esteem and students appear to be more willing to take risks as they have the support of their peers.

The collaborative characteristic is about being social and co-constructed. Children and educators work together to identify ways of learning and understanding through sustained shared thinking and action (Collaborative, 2023).

Teaching children how to collaborate, and creating a variety of learning experiences which enable them to collaborate, is not only an excellent way to develop a self-motivated and adaptable classroom, but it also builds confidence in children as students.

Creating an effective collaborative classroom is the absolute anchor of a learning powered class and is the launchpad to other design principles, such as reflection and building independence (Carlzon, n.d).

When students work together in collaborative groups, they can ask each other questions, share ideas, and give feedback to direct their own learning (Herrity, 2023). Examples of collaborative learning teams include:

Study groups

Project groups

Problem-solving or puzzle groups

Writing groups

Discussion groups

Debate or Socratic circle groups

Peer editing groups

Role-playing groups

(Herrity, 2023).The link below provides you with information on how ICT can be used as a strategy for Collaborative Learning in Early Childhood.Video: https://youtu.be/7F839H6rhTw

As teachers, 21 st Century skills should be embedded in all aspects of teaching and learning. These skills encompass the 7C's: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving, creativity and innovation, change, citizenship, character, 3R's: reading, writing and arithmetic and 2M's: motivation and meta-cognition.

This is imperative for teaching and learning as students require the life skill of being an active participant in an inclusive and global community. As collaboration is one of the 21 st Century skills, the merits of collaborative play provide students with life skills such as taking turns, sharing, following rules, negotiating, and compromising (How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom, 2023).

With this being said, collaborative learning is a twenty-first-century education trend with its main characteristic being the interaction among classmates (Zisopoulou, 2019: 337).

‍

‍

‍

How can collaborative learning be implemented in the classroom?

A) Establish group agreements

From the beginning, the teacher in conjunction with the students must decide on group norms, or agreements, as this will provide each student with a voice and provide accountability for all.

An idea is to have a poster of the shared agreements on display and when necessary, called to attention when a student or group needs a reminder (Alber, 2017).

B) Teach students how to listen

Knowing when and how to listen is not a skill that comes naturally to all students in early childhood. For students to be competent listeners, they must be taughthow to listen and ask good questions (Alber, 2017).

Collaboration is most definitely an exercise in curiosity as students learn the knack of asking questions that elicits deep learning and engagement. Questions that lend themselves to thoughtful answers are neutral and encourage participation (Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners. 2019).

As a teacher,it is important todemonstrate that once someone in the group poses a question, a few seconds of silence are necessary, giving everyone time to think (Alber, 2017). To work effectively as a group, students must become highly competent listeners as collaboration requires more than adequate listening skills.

The one way in which students can learn this skill is by experiencing it when modelled for them by teachers, as well as through intentional instruction and practice in the classroom (Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners. 2019).

During instructional time, students should be made aware that people who really listen offer empathy, refrain from cutting others off; are easy to like and respect. Children also need opportunities to restrain themselves from speaking to keep their attention on listening.

An idea would be to implement adding "Three, Then Me" to the class norms. This basically means that before one can speak again, they need to wait for three others to share first (Alber, 2017).

‍

‍

‍

C) Teach students how to negotiate

As collaboration requires negotiation skills, it is important that students are taught the art of negotiation. A good negotiator would have mastered active listening skills, is able to regulate themselves to the pace of the group discussion and group work, is responsive to change, and is able to recognise and articulate collective ideas of the group agreement (Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners. 2019).

A teacher's role is to make students aware thatsometimes even though a group member who speaks the loudest and most frequently may get the most said, but it does not mean that they will convince a group of anything.

The teacher should inform students that a good negotiator listens well, shows patience and flexibility, points out shared ideas and areas of group agreement, and thinks under pressure (Alber, 2017).

The teacher should be designing collaborative learning activities that fosters student engagement. From my experience, there is a marked improvement in students' social skills as there is active student participation. The teachers planning should include problem-based learning.

Herrity (2023), provides further suggestions for the implementation of collaborative learning:

Start with a clear goal.Before you outline a collaborative teaching experience, consider the most important tasks you want the lesson to accomplish. Use a learning goal to guide your instructional plans and determine how collaboration can help students achieve that objective.

Monitor groups.As students engage in collaborative tasks and discussions, move around the room to observe each group. Ask guiding questions if a team gets off-task or offer encouragement when teams work together effectively to accomplish their goals.

Provide time to reflectReflecting on the collaborative process can enhance learning and help team members improve their skills in future sessions. Students should be provided with enough time to discuss their thoughts on the collaborative process together, then give everyone the chance to reflect individually through a writing assignment or verbally.

What are the benefits of collaborative learning?

Collaborative learning allows students to learn in an enjoyable and effective way. It also helps students develop indispensable skills like communication and problem-solving (Herrity, 2023). Collaborative learning has the following benefits:
1. Improves problem-solving skills
Collaborative learning projects often require groups to complete a task or solve a problem. For activities such as these, the students must discuss and analyse different ideas to find the best solution.

As they work through a problem or an assignment as a group, it assists students to develop their own critical thinking skills (Herrity, 2023) whilst fostering active participation.
2. Improves communication, confidence, encourages social interaction and engagement
Collaborative learning depends on communicating effectively to complete a task where students will use their verbal communication skills to share ideas, explain concepts and provide clear and concise feedback (Herrity, 2023).

This requires students to interact as a team using eye contact (considering diverse cultures), verbal communication and social cues. Members of various personality types learn to share and listen by working towards a common goal.

Throughout this process, students practice and develop social skills such as active listening, empathy, and respect. Another key point is that the social skills attained during collaboration will help students form and maintain strong personal and professional relationships in the world of work.

Similarly, collaborative tasks encourage passive students to be more actively involved in the project or discussion because the team expects their input.

Notably, students who become more involved in their own learning often show higher achievement (Herrity, 2023) and hence the quote by Johnson and Johnson is most fitting 'Fact: Collaborative learning has been shown to result in higher student achievement, higher self-esteem, and higher motivation' (2009 in edutopia.org).

The latter prepares students for real life social and employment situations (Collaborative Learning, 2023). This type of learning is beneficial for introverted students, as team members encourage more reserved members to share their opinions and contribute to discussions.

Consequently, more introverted team members realise their value to the group. Having a supportive group atmosphere can assist them to build confidence. (Herrity, 2023).

‍

‍

‍
3. Promotes diversity
Collaborative learning brings students of various backgrounds, beliefs, education levels and ages together which is equally important. In the process of determining a solution, students hear a variety of explanations from their peers with different opinions and perspectives.

Their peers might present innovative ideas and perspectives that are unique to their culture or upbringing. As a result, collaborative learning can encourage open-mindedness and acceptance in the learning environment (Herrity, 2023), and henceforth provides exposure to and an increase in understanding of diverse perspectives (Collaborative Learning, 2023).

Given these points, in a time where the focus on inclusive education is paramount, this type of learning is most conducive.
5. Inspires creativity
Combining different views and ideas can result in creative solutions to collaborative learning assignments. One individual's idea or suggestion might inspire a new and creative idea from their team members.

Collaborative learning encourages this type of creative thinking because many ideas and viewpoints often help team members discover an effective solution to a problem (Herrity, 2023).
6. Creates trust
Collaborative learning groups work together to reach their goal, relying on each other for success. Thus, they need to learn to trust each other. Students who build trust in collaborative teams can form a more cohesive classroom bond knowing they support each other's learning.

This trust can transfer to future workplace interactions, which could lead to increased productivity and morale (Herrity, 2023).
7. Develops critical-thinking skills
This type of learning can encourage participants to think at a higher level. In collaborative projects, students analyse and discuss information where they must solve a problem or complete a task.

Because these groups require team members to explain their ideas and interpret and assess the ideas of others, students can improve their critical-thinking skills through collaborative tasks.

Critical thinking is important for resolving conflicts, brainstorming strategies, creating content, and evaluating ideas and results (Herrity, 2023).
8. Builds relationships
Collaborative learning can create new friendships and strengthen existing relationships. It often brings together individuals who would not have met or worked with each other under normal circumstances.

As team members spend time working on a collaborative learning project together, they get to know each other better.

This can lead to positive personal relationships and higher morale. If the teacher is participating in or leading the collaborative learning effort, it can help that individual understand their students better and strengthen mentor relationships (Herrity, 2023).

‍

Context in collaborative learning

Examples of collaborative learning

The following are ideas on how collaborative play can be promoted within the classroom (How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom, 2023):
1) Art Projects
Collaborative art projects are an engaging tool for encouraging students to work together. One collaborative art project to consider is a Finger Paint Art Mural. The children can make their marks and watch the masterpiece come to life.
2) Games
Games are a wonderful way to promote collaborative play in early childhood education. The following are suggestions:

Solve Puzzles: Themed puzzles can be used in the classroom and students can be grouped in pairs, where each pair is assigned a different food puzzle. Students must be encouraged to work together to solve their assigned food.

Stack Things Up: Using stacking games such as Jenga is another great option for promoting collaborative play. Stacking games typically have options for two or more players and are centred on cooperation. These types of games encourage students to learn to work together through play.

Play Ball: A third suggestion for encouraging collaborative play in the classroom is separating the children into pairs and having them roll a ball back and forth to each other. This activity will help build their gross motor skills while also promoting sharing and working together (How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom, 2023)

3) Music
Collaboratively creating music is another way to get students in tune with each other. A classroom rhythm set is perfect for preschool musicians. Students love exploring new musical sounds and practicing teamwork (How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom, 2023).
4) Building
Building together is also considered collaborative play. Working together to build the perfect tower requires negotiation and teamwork.

Students must be motivated to build the tallest tower, the longest tower; so that they have a common goal to work towards (How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom, 2023).
5) Dramatic Play
A final idea for promoting collaborative play is encouraging dramatic play in small groups or pairs, such as making meals together in a play kitchen or playhouse.

When students participate in these dramatic play activities, they must be encouraged to take turns with distinct roles. These activities will foster teamwork and negotiation and help children to learn how to compromise and share and in so doing, learn valuable life skills (How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom, 2023).

‍

Collaborative Learning as an Essential Skill

In the era that we are living, it goes without saying that schools must prepare students for the 21st -century workforce where they emerge from their education as highly collaborative and curious, life-long learners, who are better equipped to confidently conquer hurdles and tread beyond their comfort zone (Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners, 2019).

At this present time, the 21st century workplace is a collaborative one, which means its workforce must have the skills to collaborate effectively and to respond to challenges with confidence, creativity, and thoughtful action.

Collaboration pools skills, knowledge, and creativity increasing innovation and the success of a project.

As the modern workplace is becoming increasingly global, it becomes imperative that the schools and educators cultivate collaborative, inclusive, and culturally intelligent 21st-century students where they learn collaboration skills throughout their educational journey as collaboration, as a skill, is something that must be learned (Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners, 2019).

According to Alber (2017), when it comes to creating a highly collaborative classroom, teachers need to frequently model listening, paraphrasing, artful questioning, and negotiating.

During the learning process, collaborative learning environments facilitate active learning. In this period of time, the teacher stimulates collaborative learning processes which in turn encourages higher-level thinking.

As the students' self-esteem improves, so does their sense of academic achievement. Thus, it is apparent that through teaching students the skill of collaboration, teachers not only empower them to become the architect of their own journey but embolden them to confidently embrace life beyond school.

After all, as teachers, is it not our goal to mould students to have the skills and capabilities where they can function independently and within a team?

‍

‍

References

Alber, R. 2017. Deeper Learning: A Collaborative Classroom Is Key. [Online] In Edutopia. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/deeper-learning-collaboration-key-rebecca-alber. [Accessed on 9 May 2023].

Carlzon, B. Not dated. [Online]. Create a variety of learning experiences which enable children to collaborate. Available at: https://learningpowerkids.com/collaborative-learning/. [Accessed on 7 May 2023]

Collaboration: An Essential Skill for 21st Century Learners. 2019. [Online]. In Selwyn School. Available at: https://selwynschool.org/collaboration-an-essential-skill-for-21st-century-learners/. [Accessed on 9 May 2023]

Collaborative Learning. 2023. [Online]. Available at: https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-learning. [Accessed on 7 May 2023]

‍
Collaborative. 2023. In Queensland Government. Early Childhood Education and Care. [Online]. Available at: https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/early-years/age-appropriate-pedagogies/characteristics/collaborative. [Accessed on 7 May 2023]

Johnson and Johnson, 2009. In Professional Learning Communities. Collaborative learning quote via www.Edutopia.org. [Pinterest] https://za.pinterest.com/pin/collaborative-learning-quote-via-wwwedutopiaorg--137500594846296809/. [Accessed: 09.05. 2023]

Herrity, J. 2023. 11 Benefits of Collaborative Learning (Plus Tips To Use It). In Indeed. [Online]. Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/benefits-of-collaborative-learning. [Accessed on 7 May 2023]

‍
Hilkemeijer, M. 2023. ICT Solutions Australia 3 Ways for teachers to embed collaborative learning with ease in preschool today. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ictesolutions.com.au/blog/3-ways-for-teachers-to-embed-collaborative-learning-with-ease-in-preschool-today/. [Accessed on 6 May 2023]
How to Encourage Collaborative Play in the Preschool Classroom. 2023. In Kaplan Learning Centre. [Online]. Available at: https://blog.kaplanco.com/ii/collaborative-play. [Accessed on 7 May 2023]

‍
Zisopoulou, E. 2019. Collaborative learning in kindergarten: Challenge or reality? Erken Çocukluk Çalışmaları Dergisi, 3(2), 335-351. [Online]. Available at: doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.24130/eccd-jecs.1967201932113. [Accessed on 7 May 2023]

‍

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the power of collaborative learning. Enhance student engagement, foster critical thinking, and promote effective teamwork.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Student accountability is about being committed to learning and growing. Through the years, educators have come up with many different ways to hold students accountable, and then March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic rolled around and changed everything. Best practices that teachers had come to know were not always effective in the virtual and hybrid learning environments; so it was time to reinvent a part of the wheel and figure out just how to reach students and make them want to do well in a strange and unprecedented time.

Why is Student Accountability Important?

Student accountability is important because it encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and actions. Students, in turn, learn to value their work and likely increase their levels of confidence. This prepares students for life beyond high school, whether it be furthering their education, going into the workforce, or a combination of both. When students are taught the value of accountability from a young age, it carries over into all aspects of their lives, creating a more well-rounded person.

How to Promote Student Accountability

Create a "just right" learning environment.

A "just right" learning environment is exactly how it sounds: a learning environment that is right for your students. An environment where students feel connected to each other is important at any age and grade level. This helps students to take responsibility for their actions and behavior which is important to keep your classroom running smoothly. Having a classroom where students feel trusted, respected, and safe creates an engaging learning environment and one where students expect to be held accountable for their actions by not just their teachers but their classmates and themselves.

Clear expectations.

Clear expectations are important in holding students accountable for learning and assignments. Creating rubrics for projects/assessments and pieces of writing can help students to understand the expectation of assignments. Having clear written directions, as well as verbal directions, for all assignments is also important to ensure students understand what your expectations are. Due dates are so important! Throughout virtual and hybrid learning, having due dates in Google Classroom has helped students to stay organized and on top of their assignments. Having clear expectations gives support from the teacher necessary to ensure student growth and achievement at any grade level and plays a big part in being able to hold students accountable and in students holding themselves accountable.

Have students take ownership of their learning.

As educators, we have all heard the excuse, "Well, my parents didn't put the assignment in my bookbag", or "You didn't tell me I needed to do this." Students need to own their learning and have an active role in decisions about their learning. It is important to give students a voice in the learning process. This is such an integral part of increasing accountability as it makes students feel responsible for themselves. Mistakes, at any age, are one of the best ways to learn. Errors can lead to learning, and when students hold themselves accountable for their learning, academic, as well as social-emotional growth, is inevitable.

The self-assessment piece.

Self-assessments are a major part of learning. It is imperative for students to reflect on their performance and determine what their strengths and weaknesses are. At a young age, a self-assessment can be as simple as an emoji worksheet where the student circles the emoji that shows how he/she feels about their effort on an assignment.

Another simple self-assessment is a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. You can quickly assess the class on their understanding of a concept or skill in this manner. For upper elementary to high school level students, you can give self-reflection forms for them to fill out after major assessments or marking periods to help students set goals and determine whether those goals have been met. This helps to hold students accountable for their performance.

Support families.

Supporting families is more important now than ever! It is vital to create that strong connection between the school and home work environments. Parents and guardians need to feel supported by the teachers in order to provide the help at home that is necessary for increased success and student achievement. I have observed in my own classroom the successes and achievements of students with families involved and those without. Setting in place the appropriate supports for each student and their families is imperative to their success and also helps to gain support from families in student accountability.

Student, parent, and teacher conferences.

A new twist on the standard parent-teacher conference is involving the students in it as well. Keeping the lines of communication open and involving students more in their education decisions is a great way to increase accountability. These are important discussions, and having student input can really shed a different light on certain situations. Perception is reality and each party could be viewing the same situation differently. Involve students in the problem-solving process and help them to develop that ownership over oneself.

As educators, we need to make students want to come to school. Getting the students through the day (real or virtual) is where accountability begins for the them. This is a major factor in students learning about so many life skills such as time management, self management, and application of skills to the real world. Keeping them involved through all of the processes is vital to their level of accountability and, in turn, their success.

As Denis Waitley stated, "The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." Be a part of giving students the gift of future success through promoting accountability!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Increase Student Accountability - TeachHUB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Student accountability is about being committed to learning and growing. Through the years, educators have come up with many different ways to hold students accountable, and then March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic rolled around and changed everything.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Being Responsible - Responsibility Song,  Kids and Toddlers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Responsibility with Classroom Jobs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School accountability: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow - Kappan Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Effective accountability systems are as important as ever after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results-based school accountability has been the linchpin of education reform in the United States for at least two decades. This follows from the conviction that schools are responsible for the extent to which their pupils are meeting their states’ academic standards. In recent […]

# data[].attributes.headline
Steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment

# data[].attributes.subject
Steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Create an Inclusive Classroom: 12 Tips for Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What does inclusion actually mean, in the context of schools and education? What does inclusion look like in the classroom? And most importantly, how can teachers create an inclusive classroom that benefits all students, no matter what their individual needs?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Administration & Leadership

Instead of focusing solely on holding teachers accountable, administrators can provide the support they need in and out of the classroom.

Davide Bonazzi / The iSpot

"Rules without relationship leads to rebellion" is an adage that applies to interactions between teachers and students as well as between administrators and teachers. When I stepped out of the classroom and began supervising instruction, a part of my responsibilities included holding teachers accountable to deadlines and district expectations. I try to never forget my perspective as a classroom teacher, as an administrator I have learned that strong and effective support for teachers should always take precedence over blanket accountability measures such as strongly worded emails, overtly negative performance reviews, and write-ups.

This is particularly important because of the impact of teacher retention on student achievement. Teacher mobility is on the rise even as teacher shortages exacerbate teacher vacancies, and administrators play a key role in teacher retention. School communities need administrators who remember how hard teaching is and the demands that post-pandemic education places on teachers. If you lead a faculty team in any capacity, consider the following path that balances support with accountability.

Reflect on and assess your own progress

What does support for teachers mean to you?

What have you done this year to support your teachers?

More specifically, how have you lightened the load for your team, including new teachers and experienced teachers who may be struggling?

How do you identify teachers in need of support?

As leaders, we are ultimately responsible for the successes and failures of our teams. The first person we must hold accountable is ourselves. In this regard, think about the following questions from a place of transparency and a space of vulnerability. It's OK to fall short of where we would like to be-the gap between where we are and where we seek to be is "the work."

You can start by considering questions like these:

Create the conditions for teachers to ask for support

"They are not responsive."

"They probably won't listen to me."

"They are not easy to speak to."

"They don't reply to my emails."

Throughout my years in education, I have been fortunate enough to build relationships with many teachers, not just in my own school community but across district and even state lines.

I cannot count how many times I've heard people say things like these about their administrators:

As an administrator, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining a professional space that is conducive for the teachers on my team to interact with transparency and, at times, vulnerability. For me, creating these conditions as a supportive administrator means being visible and communicative.

Visible: You cannot lead your team from your office. Maintaining a visible presence not only shows that we are noticeably on the job but also communicates that we see our teachers and students. Sometimes, the visibility of a supportive administrator means more than simply walking the halls.

In my first year out of the classroom, one of my primary responsibilities involved managing student discipline at our middle school. I held weekly meetings with grade-level teams to discuss disciplinary concerns and plan for solutions. As the year progressed, some teachers would get demonstrative about their frustration. Still new in my role, I began canceling these meetings from time to time in order to avoid this frustration. I incorrectly perceived conflict in this space as a ruling from the team that I was ineffective at managing student discipline. Much to my surprise, after canceling one time too many, the teachers asked that we resume our weekly meetings and affirmed the value of being seen and heard.

Communicative: Supportive administrators are responsive, proactive, and transparent in communication. We have to reply to our emails. Returning text messages is crucial. Even if you cannot respond immediately, build time into your schedule to respond to texts and emails. Coming in 15 or 20 minutes earlier in the day just to respond to emails can vastly improve how you are perceived by teachers in terms of being approachable and receptive.

Requests for deadline extensions.

Help with lesson planning.

Requests for supplies-from pencils and markers to glue and paper.

Requests for collaborative grading sessions to norm rubric expectations across the team.

Requests to try a new activity and a classroom visit with feedback.

Requests to problem-solve about why a lesson fell short.

Requests for support with classroom management strategies.

Requests for support on a call with a parent or in a conference.

Interpersonal transparency is essential. Administrators who are perceived as secretive cultivate a culture of distrust. Teachers cannot be privy to every aspect of all decision-making processes. However, when possible, be transparent in communication. A culture of transparency builds trust between teachers and administrators.

Proactive communication to assess the needs of teachers is also vital. I have learned to end my collaborative meetings with each team by asking if there are any needs or requests for support in any areas. And they've had a lot of requests-here are a few I've received:

Sometimes I wonder if the questions that bubble up to the surface would have been expressed without an open invitation.

Support means showing up

In my experience, one of the biggest disconnects between teachers and administrators involves an understanding of what exactly support is. I've grown to think of support for teachers as sweat equity. Simply put, supportive administrators show up.

Consider a teacher who fails to submit lesson plans on a timely basis, if at all. On the one hand, sure, you can notify the teacher and document their ongoing success or failure to meet expectations up to the point of disciplinary action. Yet I've come to learn that in these instances supporting teachers through the lesson planning process almost always remedies this issue.

What does this support look like? For me, it means blocking off time to meet, sit, and plan with the teacher. Sometimes the issue is time management. Other times-especially for new and novice planners-they just need a more experienced planning partner to get the ball rolling. Our reflection, assessment, and ultimate success in supporting (and retaining) our teams hinges on our understanding of teacher workload.

Either way, understanding the lesson plan example as a teacher workload issue means: (1) We can lighten the workload by easing or extending the lesson plan submission deadline for a week or two as the teacher gains their footing, or (2) we can show up to strengthen the teacher's ability to plan effectively and efficiently. Sometimes, the teacher you feel needs to be held accountable is the very teacher you need to show up for.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instead of focusing solely on holding teachers accountable, administrators can provide the support they need in and out of the classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment

# data[].attributes.subject
Steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When it comes to supporting all students in an inclusive classroom, you can never have too many practical tips in your toolbox. Today's post, adapted from by Carolyn Hughes & Erik Carter, gives you 14 helpful suggestions for meeting the needs of all learners-during the school day and at home. Recommended by real teachers, these strategies will help you strengthen inclusive practices and help families provide the best supports for their children.

Teachers surveyed by authors Hughes & Carter recommended the following instructional strategies for supporting students in inclusive classrooms:

Apply proven strategies. Investigate what works by reading about the latest research-based strategies for inclusive classrooms. (We've got a whole bookstore category for that. ) If you haven't already, try strategies like constant and progressive time delay, most-to-least or least-to-most prompting, and other direct instruction strategies backed by strong evidence of effectiveness. Always match the strategies you choose with the individual needs and strengths of your students.

Rethink grading. For students who have extensive support needs, traditional grading systems probably won't be the best way to show what they can do. Consider alternative grading approaches that more meaningfully capture the progress students with disabilities are making toward their academic goals. (For guidance on grading, see this excellent post from Nicole Eredics of the Inclusive Class blog: "10 Tips for Grading Students with Disabilities in the Inclusive Classroom.")

Outside the classroom, kids should have plenty of chances to practice new skills across a variety of settings, tasks, and people. Parents, extended family members, and other adults can keep these teacher-recommended strategies in mind when supporting students at home and in the community.

Use your child's interests as teaching tools. Does your child have a special fascination? Weaving these preferences and interests into skill instruction can help promote learning and engagement. (For specific ideas on using a child's fascinations as powerful learning aids, see by Paula Kluth & Patrick Schwarz.)

As an educator or parent, which of these strategies resonates with you most? Do you have another key principle of inclusion that guides you every day? Share it with us in the comments below!

For more than 500 research-based, teacher-tested strategies that help students with disabilities make a smooth transition to adulthood, check outRead an excerpt, see the reviews, and view the full table of contents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
14 Ways to Support All Learners at School and Home - Brookes Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When it comes to supporting all students in an inclusive classroom, you can never have too many practical tips in your toolbox. Today's post, adapted from The New Transition Handbook by Carolyn Hughes & Erik Carter, gives you 14 helpful suggestions for meeting the needs of all learners-during the school day and at home.

# data[].attributes.headline
Steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment 

# data[].attributes.subject
Steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tutoring is an essential tool in providing students with additional academic support, particularly in subjects that they may struggle with. In the UK, tutoring has become a central focus in the education sector, with the government launching several initiatives aimed at improving academic outcomes for students.

In-class support is an essential tool for teachers to provide students with special needs additional support while participating in the general classroom environment. It allows students to receive the necessary assistance to be successful academically and socially. In this article, we will discuss what in-class support is, strategies for implementing it, and the benefits it provides to students and teachers.

What is In-Class Support

In-class support is a method of supporting students with special needs in the general classroom environment. This support is provided by a team of educators, including general education teachers, special education teachers, and other support staff. The goal of in-class support is to help students with special needs participate in the general curriculum and learn alongside their peers.

In-class support can take many forms, including co-teaching, push-in support, and pull-out support. Co-teaching is a teaching model where two teachers work together in the classroom. One teacher is usually the general education teacher, while the other is the special education teacher. The teachers collaborate to plan lessons, differentiate instruction, and provide additional support to students with special needs.

Push-in support involves a special education teacher or a support staff member working with a student or a small group of students in the general education classroom. The teacher or support staff member provides assistance with assignments, materials, or behaviour management.

Pull-out support involves a student receiving additional support outside of the general classroom environment. This can include speech therapy, occupational therapy, or one-on-one instruction.

Government-led Schemes

The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is a government-led scheme aimed at providing additional academic support to students who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NTP provides schools with funding to hire external tutors to work with students in both primary and secondary schools. The programme is designed to provide one-to-one and small-group tuition in subjects such as English, maths, and science.

The NTP is also designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with additional funding allocated to schools with a higher proportion of disadvantaged students. This ensures that all students, regardless of their background, have access to the academic support they need.

School-led Training

School-led training is another approach to tutoring that has gained traction in recent years. Rather than relying on external tutors, schools train their own teachers to provide additional academic support to students. This approach is particularly effective as teachers already have a deep understanding of their students and can tailor their teaching to meet their individual needs.

School-led training can take many forms, including after-school clubs, small-group tuition, and one-to-one support. By providing training for teachers, schools can ensure that students receive high-quality academic support without incurring additional costs.

One of the key benefits of school-led training is that it allows teachers to tailor their teaching to meet the specific needs of their students. As teachers already have a deep understanding of their students, they can identify areas where students may be struggling and provide targeted support.

Implementing School-led Training Effectively

To implement school-led training effectively, schools need to have a clear strategy in place. This strategy should outline the specific goals of the training, the resources that will be required, and the roles and responsibilities of the teachers involved.

Schools should also ensure that they provide adequate training and support to their teachers. This may include providing professional development opportunities, access to resources and materials, and regular feedback and support.

Finally, schools should evaluate the effectiveness of their school-led training programmes on an ongoing basis. This may involve collecting data on student outcomes, conducting surveys with students and teachers, and seeking feedback from parents and other stakeholders.

Talking to the teacher

The sooner you can start helping your students achieve their goals in the classroom, the better.

When it comes to providing effective support for the students in your class you will need to learn about them all as individuals. Adopting a more personal approach and understanding how each student learns is far more effective than treating them as a group.

The best way to familiarise yourself with the dynamics of the classroom that you will be assisting in is to speak with the teacher. Instead of having to spend months if not years figuring out what the teacher already knows all by yourself, you could find this out over a few conversations.

Setting up a good line of communication with the teacher will help you master in-class support the quickest. Tutors may be excused for just "getting on with it" and using their instincts to decide where to be, what to do, and who to assist in an effort to make as little noise as possible.

Teachers typically provide you with some guidance regarding which students are most likely to need your support in the class. This is important as it will help you to gauge who you should be spending your time with. They'll probably let you know whether they'd like you to sit with a certain student or group.

Nothing, however, is more beneficial than posing these issues to the instructor and gaining their guidance on what to concentrate on. As the academic calendar unfolds, you will likely have a better sense of all this by yourself.

During the immediate stages, however, it is important that you use the resources available to you and start supporting the students as soon as possible.

Whether you are in the classroom to assist the students that are having the greatest difficulty, or you spend time assisting everyone else so the teacher can concentrate more of their attention on them is something that you will need to assess between yourselves too.

Taking time to work ahead

Tutors working in a classroom for the first time will usually jump right into helping students - assuming their subject knowledge is sufficient to help students whenever they get stuck. In fact, one of the most productive things tutors can do is take 5 minutes to work through the lesson's resources ahead of time - identifying likely sticking points or common incorrect answers.

If you've worked through the questions yourself, you'll get an immediate sense of students are getting stuck on questions and be prepared with a helpful way to unlock the key concept. If you've not checked ahead you might not spot a small error in students' work or might get caught on the hop with a tricky question and give someone a hint in the wrong direction!

Engaging students that don't ask for help

There are many reasons why a student might not ask for help. This makes it difficult as an educator to arrive at an understanding for where each of their students are at with their learning. It also makes it difficult for the teacher and support staff to know where they need to subsequently allocate their time and what material they might need to go over.

Some Students are quite good at asking for assistance when it is needed. You'll immediately recognize them. When they are stuck on a question, they will raise their hand in the air.

If you'll let them, they'd be happy to have you answer any questions they have. However, part of your job in the classroom is to look past these pupils and identify the ones who are toiling away in quiet.

If you don't make sure to do this, the entire class will end up following the needs of a select group of subjects rather than the class in its entirety.

If you have students that don't know how to ask for help or who don't feel comfortable raising their hand in the air then be sure to check on them as they go about their work.

Remember, a young student has a tremendous amount of weight to bear when they lack confidence in the classroom. Many pupils will try their hardest to avoid you paying them any attention and finish each lesson without bothering anybody else.

They will often consult their peers before they ask for assistance, and ask other pupils about their assignments.

You can always ask engaging questions that aren't too intimidating for the student to answer. Get the students involved in your class by asking 'What did you come up with for this? Please elaborate on that for me'.

You'll quickly realize that students genuinely need your help, and the teaching staff will be more than grateful for your initiative!

Put all your effort into your classes

It is beneficial to add a demonstration when introducing a new topic to your students. Others, especially visual learners, will need to see the material in order to fully understand it. Some kids can acquire a new concept just by hearing it.

This can go a long way when it comes to influencing the students' attitude towards the subject that you teach and, perhaps more importantly, how they reflect on you as an educator.

when your students are in your classroom and you are going through a new topic you might try and make an effort to engage your students in their learning and excite them about the material.

Instead of sitting in your chair and running through an endless stream of slides on a topic and having your students take notes for the entirety of your classes. It would help if you made an effort to show your work on the board when instructing a class because otherwise, your students won't understand a thing.

This allows for better comprehension and class participation. Make sure that your lessons stand out and get your students engaged in the topics that you teach.

In order for your students to fully grasp a concept, some may require more than one illustration. Bear in mind that your class will likely be comprised of a number of different kinds of learners. It is important that you conduct your classes to cater for all the styles of learning if you want all of your students to progress.

For each new lesson, be sure to include a variety of demonstrations, as repetition is essential for helping learners retain new information. When you use this strategy, you'll notice a significant improvement in test scores for all learners.

If you want to become a top tutor you should listen to the advice of professionals.

Rewarding the right behaviour

Tutors can get into a pattern of rewarding the wrong behaviours; giving all of their attention to the students who demand it by not properly engaging with the lesson.

If students know that doing the work is the one way they're guaranteed to get your undivided attention, they'll keep doing it. If your focus is elsewhere, they'll make themselves impossible to ignore.

If your attention is on them, they'll make it very hard for you to go elsewhere. Whether or not they need your help quickly becomes impossible to tell and you've entered into a pattern of behaviour that always ends in disruption - not just for that student but for the whole class.

Be mindful of this and always be prepared to walk away from students that are getting your attention for all of the wrong reasons.

Small group sessions are also another effective medium for students to learn through.

Expand your earnings as an educator with Superprof

More and more educators are moving over to tutoring websites like Superprof, which allows students to browse and connect with the qualified tutors that occupy the space.

These online tutor platforms offer both greater flexibility and more competitive pricing for both students and teachers.

If you haven't already, you should check out Superprof! Just a short browse of the platform for the subjects or skill that you intend on teaching and you'll get a sense of what students in your area are paid per hour.

If you are looking to give private tutorials to your students you could opt for online or in-person lessons on the platform. This will broaden your reach and might just help you find more students!

While the hourly rate for your sessions is likely to fluctuate depending on your r experience as a tutor, it will provide you with a great benchmark and ultimately help you in making an informed decision on what hourly rate you should be charging.

Your rate will also vary according to supply and demand with supply is the number of tutors offering a given class and the demand being the number of students who want classes.

This avenue will provide you with the opportunity to try out any of the techniques mentioned in this article while providing you with a lucrative stream of income outside of the classroom.

Try enrolling as a Superporf tutor today and improve as an educator!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
In-Class Support: Strategies for Supporting Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tutoring in schools and in-house support are two effective ways to help students succeed academically.