Don't Give Up: Practical Strategies for Challenging Collaborations

People faced with collaboration challenges are often reluctant to be honest about problems because in many schools collaboration is a norm. But whereas most special educators are intuitively skilled at working with others, "problematic professional encounters are inevitable barriers that will appear occasionally in the life of every special educator." As the number of special needs students receiving their education in inclusive settings increases, there will be higher expectations for collaboration among special educators, general educators, related service personnel, and paraprofessionals. This article draws on the professional literature in education and in business management, as well as on the experiences of hundreds of teachers, to offer evidence-based strategies for addressing challenges in teacher collaborations. (Contains 1 figure.)