The Art of Partnership

During a recent interview with Jameelah Gamble - A Voice For All, I was asked what advice I would give to parents whose children with special needs are transitioning between grades, schools, and systems (elementary to secondary).  I don't recall my exact answer, and I know I did not have the opportunity to say all I could have said given the time constraints. I can tell you it centered around one word - partnership.

I have learned a great deal about partnership over the years, both personally and professionally. I have learned through experience what it is, what it looks like, what it feels like and unfortunately, through some negative experiences, what partnership is not.  Partnership doesn't just happen.  It takes a commitment.

What is partnership?

• requires at least two people but can be an entire organization
• a genuine commitment to one another to achieve an end goal

What does partnership look like?  

• shared ideas and agendas
• mutual respect
• negotiation is evident
• mutual acknowledgement
• non-competitive
• effective communication
• joint leadership

What does partnership feel like?

• energetic
• inspiring
• enlightening
• empowering
• valuable
• equitable
• strength based

What partnership is not?

• jealous
• spiteful
• competitive
• one sided
• vulnerable
• dishonest

Partnership in K-12

With many ugly stories that parents hear about the education system, and more specifically special education, how can a parent not feel apprehensive about a transition from grade to grade, school to school, elementary to secondary or even secondary to college?  Let's face it. There are some troubling stories out there and unfortunately we do tend to focus on the negative despite the fact there are good news stories.  With a transition on the horizon, it is important to remember that both parents and educators have a responsibility to prepare for next year and to start the new school year off on the right foot. 

Here are some tips to help set the stage for partnership between you, your student's education team and your child.

Parents:

• Start early - If you know who your child's teacher will be next year - introduce or re-introduce yourself.  
• Think positively - tell the teacher/s that you are looking forward to working together next year
• Accept that change isn't necessarily bad.  Each teacher is different just as each student is different. Change builds resilience and there just might be a better way to do things.
• Talk positively in front of your child about the change and the people involved.
• Check your own biases at the door - we all come to new situations with past experiences, both positive and negative.  
• Assume the best of your teacher before you jump to conclusions of the worst.
• The 24-hour rule is a rule for a reason.  It does help.
• Inform yourself.
• Attend all meetings.  If one isn't initiated, initiate one yourself.
• Freely share information.
• Ask, ask, ask questions.  Don't stew. Clarify!
• Acknowledge your teacher's effort - the big and the small. 

Educators:

• Believe that parents do know their children and have valuable things to contribute to discussions.
• Read your student's files and I.E.P.
• Don't make assumptions - ask questions.
• Return messages and phone calls promptly.
• If you don't know an answer to a parent's question - no problem.  Ask someone and follow-up. Don't guess.
• Remember there is no room for judgement in partnership. Once judgment is past, partnership is eroded (trust me).
• Model a growth mindset in students and parents.
• Compromise - your solution may not always be the only solution (or even the right solution).
• Reach out - communicate in as many ways as possible.
• Respect confidentiality.
• Use people first language. 
• Acknowledge the student's effort.  Acknowledge the parents contributions.
• Learn something else about the student that is non-academic focused on show an interest in communicating about that topic from time to time.

Partnership, even among the most committed pairs, groups and teams can bring about challenges. However a partnership that starts out on shaky ground, and/or isn't genuine, is quite likely destined to breakdown. Building relationships is key to building partnership and we don't build relationships by tearing each other down. Helen Keller once said "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." The key - master the art of partnership.

 
Originally posted on the P.A.L.S. Network Blog on June 9, 2015

Organizing higherEdcamp

When I became a frequent Twitter user, a step beyond major lurking, I had no idea what was in store for me.  I began to follow, retweet, tweet and then repeat, and repeat and repeat.  Before long I was immersed in tweets about topics I was passionate about.  I found it a challenge to make the time to follow all of the fabulous shares that were landing on my homepage.  What an amazing place to learn... and an even better place to find an unexpected professional learning network of people I deemed "follow worthy".

There was one profile that caught my continuous attention with her obvious passion for education, technology and most specifically special education.  Dina Moati and I began to follow one another and shared the occasional direct message.  It was a surprise though when one day Dina messaged me with a proposition... she wanted me to consider being part of an organizing team for higherEDcamp.

Now Edcamps were new to me.  I had never attended an Edcamp. I didn't know anyone who had attended one, nor had I really ever read about one. I asked myself how could I possibly organize one with such limited knowledge and experience?  Although I questioned my fit for the project, Dina's passion and enthusiasm for higherEDcamp was nothing short of contagious.  She quickly put out any of my self-doubt and with pure optimism she was sure higherEDcamp would be a success.  Soon the team began to grow, and although we lost some original members due to personal commitments, the "Team of 3" was born with Jennifer Tate joining the ranks.

My experience organizing higherEDcamp was amazing. Three strangers had come together through Twitter with the goal of putting together an inspirational and memorable day of learning for higherED professors, administrators, students and educators.  At the time we didn't know who would come.  We didn't know where it would be.  We didn't know how we would pay for it, and we didn't know if we would be lucky enough to attract some sponsors.  We just knew we wanted to create a day of innovation and collaboration, utilizing the UNconference format.

Three strangers... one goal!  We lived a distance apart so ALL of our planning was done through Google Hangout. In fact we only met each other in person as a team for the first time the day before the event. We tossed around ideas, we shared resources, and we quickly learned about each other's strengths.  Jennifer had the power of persuasion and took on the task of reaching out to prospective sponsors.  Her creativity brought us the idea of having a "Me to We" loom to create a tapestry to represent the day. As well she created a bowl full of badges for participants to pin to their lanyards to highlight their values and skills related to their teaching.   I took responsibility for helping to generate content for the website, draft the e-blasts, and assist with organizing the volunteers.  Dina had the vision! The end goal was always in site as she had the most experience with Edcamps.  She used her past and recent experiences to help shape our day and committed herself to spreading the news.  She tweeted, emailed and tweeted some more to make sure that higherEDcamp was well promoted.  Her ability to anticipate our needs for the day led us to securing a location and arranging more than enough food for the participants and volunteers.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the tasks and contributions associated with planning our first ever higherEDcamp.  Should you ever want to organize your own, there are plenty of valuable resources online from the Edcamp Foundation, and resources from those who have organized previous Edcamps. The three of us worked passionately to bring it all together.  When one team member was reluctant or hesitant about something, the others rallied.  We balanced each other out and it showed as our vision became a reality.

The day of higherEDcamp was nothing short of amazing.  After all, I got to experience and organize an edcamp all in one day!  Educators from across Ontario, and even from other provinces, attended higherEDcamp. They shared ideas and resources on a variety of topics, rekindled old friendships, and created new ones. Aside from the success of the day, the most unforgettable part of higherEDcamp for me was how three strangers, all with proclaimed interest and passion in higher education, came together and made something out of nothing.  Dina's words summed it up nicely... it was like a stone soup, a story of pure cooperation. With a little of this, a little of that, a more than a dash of partnership, higherEDcamp was born.

Thank-you team for such a wonderful experience!

For more information about higherEDcamp you can visit our website or follow us on Twitter @higherEDcamp #higheredcamp