It is important to recognize that the practicalities of adapting classrooms to accommodate the learning needs of all learners have fallen mostly on the class teacher. Teachers have to deal with complex dilemmas both in and out of the classroom in the process of delivering the curriculum in a way which is relevant to the diverse needs of their learners. This situation often creates stress and can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation. Tired and anxious teachers are unlikely to adapt to change effectively and this has negative implications for their learners.

Support for teachers in their increasingly demanding roles within a whole-school approach is vital. Many classroom teachers feel that they do not have sufficient training and support to meet many of the challenges presented by the learners in their classes and the general problems facing the school as a whole. The development of collaborative relationships among teachers so that expertise may be shared is crucial to the success of diversity within the inclusive classroom.

Collaboration and teamwork

Collaboration in inclusive education offers the opportunity for capitalizing on the diverse and specialized knowledge of teachers and enables schools to provide quality learning support for all their learners. It can be difficult for teachers who are accustomed to working individualistically in their own classroom. People working in collaborative teams can accomplish much more than individuals on their own. A collaborative team can bring about change and a positive and caring learning environment could be the outcome. For a team to collaborate effectively, the members must possess and implement small-group interpersonal skills such as group communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution.

Source

The power of collaborative teams lies in their capacity to merge unique skills of talented teachers. Thus teachers themselves are existing education resources that could be utilized in teacher support teams in mainstream and special schools to provide support to the school as a whole in an empowering way. Being established in a particular school enables the team to support a specific school or community.

Teacher support teams in schools

A teacher support team is not a special group of professionals who are supposed to solve the problems referred to them from teachers in the school. If that is the case, the concept of a teacher support team as assisting the school as a whole - which is an important aspect of the process of support and change - is left out. The focus is then on the difficulties of the learner who "has a problem" and who can be labelled according to a classification system for behavioral and learning problems in the school. The context of which the teacher forms a part, is played down and the emphasis is placed on diagnosis and finding a remedy for the learner with a problem, to the cost of a holistic systemic support strategy for all involved with the learner. The mistake can also be made to see the teacher support team as a service for removing the learner from the classroom, rather than a support system for empowering the teacher to succeed in the classroom.

In order to prevent inappropriate referrals to outside agencies or support services all referrals should go through the teacher support team, to enable them to support the teacher on a first-phase level to handle the situation in class. If a referral to outside agencies has to be made, the teacher support team still has the function to coordinate the recommendations made and to make sure that ongoing monitoring and support strategies are in place.

Getting it done

Setting up a teacher support team depends on clear and detailed initial communication and negotiations between the principal, staff members and those who will facilitate the process. The facilitator should be aware of the inherent difficulties in role change for teachers, and be sensitive to the demands of the teaching profession as well as the need for individual empowerment of teachers. He or she should also be familiar with the community of teachers, parents and learners within which the support team will be set up.

• Who is the target population?
• Who has the responsibility for referral to the team?
• Who should serve on the team?
• Who should coordinate the team?
• How should the team operate?
• How effective should the team be?

Once team members have been selected, they should acquire the essential skills which will enable them to understand not only the concept of teacher support teams, but also that of small group collaborative work.

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Resources:
Reaching the need of all learners
Teacher innovation
Collaborative partnerships
Teaching in an inclusive classroom
Disrupting the one teacher standard

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