ESL Teacher Collaboration with Mainstream Teachers (Strategies & Tips)

Building relationships with mainstream teachers is essential! Having a strong professional relationship with mainstream teachers makes advocating and supporting your English Languages so much easier. Here are some tips and strategies you can implement in your efforts to building relationships with mainstream teachers.

Building a relationship with the mainstream establishes trust and mutual respect.

By building a relationship you start see how the mainstream teaches and operates his/her classroom. You will also develop a mutual respect for the teacher that will be reciprocated if nurtured throughout the school year. This will help tremendously if you are co-teaching/pushing in for the school year. You can start off by building a relationship by simply introducing yourself at the beginning of the school (or before if you know).

Offer your strengths and reach out to learn more about their strengths in the classroom.

Then offer to setup a meeting/working lunch were you discuss your vision for the classroom with ELLs. Make the first meeting informal, so during this time you can get to know each other. After the first meeting, then reach out to setup a second meeting where you discuss expectations. During this meeting get a clear understanding of what the mainstream teacher(s) are expecting from you during the school year. At this meeting you can also set clear expectations of what you expect from the mainstream teachers.

Building trust requires that you be transparent.

If there are any requirements and/or compliance let the mainstream teachers know as soon as possible. This requires of you to be organized and diligent about the requirements and/or compliance. Sending teachers emails with deadlines two days before they are due puts a lot of unnecessary stress and causes distrust. So always stay on top of such requirements and allow teachers ample time to complete the requirements.

Attend the same professional developments and staff meetings as the mainstream teachers.

This shows mainstream teachers that you are open and willing to be on the front lines with them. During these meetings you can also present the perspective of an ESL teacher and how the mainstream teachers can better serve their students. You will be surprised at how much you can learn at these meetings.

Offer professional development for mainstream teachers around areas where you see there is a need.

Some mainstream teachers are eager to learn how to better serve English Language Learners. Listening to their needs and offering professional development around those needs strengthens the relationship between the ELL teacher and the mainstream teacher.

Always respectfully advocate for your English Language Learners.

When advocating for your students always do so in a respectful manner. This means taking a moment to look at the whole picture before approaching a mainstream about a concern.

If there is ever a concern, always speak with the mainstream teacher personally. 

I would also suggest following up the conversation with an email. In most cases the concern will be resolved. If not, then follow the chain of command at your school. I have found in my efforts to build relationships that ALL the mainstream teachers I have worked with greatly appreciated it that I have spoken with them directly.

Let the mainstream teachers know that they can come to you with any concerns or questions they have about the students.

It may sound simple, but just letting the teachers know that you are there to help them support the students is powerful. Always remember that building a relationship with mainstream teachers does not happen overnight. It requires that you be intentional and thoughtful about your endeavors.