Dr. Stephen R. Covey defined “synergy” as the result of two or more people respectfully collaborating to produce creative solutions that are much better than either one of them could have proposed individually. He went on to state that when you are communicating synergistically, you understand the basic underlying needs and interests of all involved and you can better identify solutions to satisfy everyone involved.
In this article, Dr. Davenport applies this concept to education planning for children, teens, and college students.
Synergy Benefits the Student and Educators
I believe synergistic communication is an important part of developing a strong educational plan with your student’s public or private school educators. If you want your child’s plan to be implemented, you should take a collaborative approach by considering the benefits for your child, her classmates, and her teacher.
When you develop an accommodation that benefits everyone, then you improve the odds of it being implemented. For example, a student who is struggling to remember all the steps in multiple-step math procedures (carrying, borrowing, etc.) can benefit from using a “cue card” listing all of the steps in the process: she can learn the task more efficiently and effectively with this scaffolding tool. But wait, it gets even better because the student is not interrupting the teacher and the rest of the class by asking, “What’s the next step?” every few minutes.
Plan Ahead for a Synergistic Meeting
Try these seven steps to prepare for your meeting with your student’s principal and educators.
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Make a spreadsheet with these column headings: Problem, Possible Solutions, Benefit to Child, Benefit to Teacher, Best Solution (or use the attached Education Planner).
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To identify current problems, go through your child’s most recent graded papers and notes from school.
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For each problem, consider possible solutions suggested in my post about educational care and from reputable websites or books recommended on the resources pages of this website (be sure to make note of where you found the suggestion so you can refer to this information during your meeting).
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Write down how each solution benefits your child.
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Next, write down how each solution benefits your child’s teacher and the other children in the classroom.
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Be ready to present these options during your meeting: in a collaborative, synergistic atmosphere, you and your child’s educators work together to consider which option is most helpful for everyone involved.
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Be open to other options: your child’s educators will likely have other ideas based on what they have seen work before, as well as the requirements of public school education laws.
Think “Win-Win”
By collaborating in this way, you ensure a “win-win” situation for everyone involved, and you improve the odds of your student’s teacher implementing the education plan! You will also enjoy more efficiency and effective meetings with her educators.
As Dr. Covey once said, “The possibilities of truly significant gain and improvement through a synergistic approach often leave those who experience it changed, not quite the same as before.”
Need help applying this concept?
Call 817.421.8780 or email us to schedule an educational consultation today.
© 2010-2020, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.
