Co-Teaching: Partners, Instruction, and Assessment
By Chris MartinezADMS 625
Essential Question for the year…What do we do as a collaborative team that
one teacher cannot?
“Two or more professionals delivering substantive instruction to a diverse or blended group of students in a single physical space.”
(Cook & Friend, 2001)
Co-Teaching is…….Simultaneous instruction with a
heterogeneous group of studentsInstruction by two or more teachers (adults)Instruction within the same physical spaceInstruction given in a coordinated fashion
Needs to be pre-plannedInvolves collaborationDoes not mean just showing up, but instead
providing in-class support
Co-Teaching is…….A method to meet the diverse needs of all
students in the same classroomA service delivery model based on the
philosophy of inclusionA collaborative practice among professionalsA relationship
“Co-teaching arrangements… are one promising option for meeting the learning needs of the many students who once spent a large part of the school day with special educators in separate classrooms.”
(Friend, 2007)
Benefits of CollaborationBest for ALL studentsCollaboration of ideas and strategies for
teaching and learningTransition between activities is smootherBehavior ManagementProfessional GrowthShared Responsibilities
Models of CollaborationLead and SupportDuet ModelSpeak and Add ModelAdapting ModelComplimentary Instruction
Lead and SupportTeacher A (Reg Ed): primary responsibility
for planning a unit of instructionTeacher B (Sped): shares in delivery,
monitoring, and evaluation
Pros: Saves time for Teacher B Cons: Differentiation feels like an add-on (not
as a comprehensive part of instruction)
Duet ModelTeacher A & B: Both teachers plan and
design instruction. Teachers take turns delivering various components of the lesson
You MUST PLAN together to do this effectively. PLAN PLAN PLAN
Speak and Add/Chart ModelTeacher A: Primary responsibility for
designing and deliveringTeacher B: Adds and expands with questions,
rephrasing, anecdotes, and recording key information.
Adapting ModelTeacher A: Primary responsibility for
planning and delivering a unit of instruction.Teacher B: Determines and provides
adaptations for students who are struggling.
Both teachers are doing what they are specially trained to do.
The sped teacher is not involved with ALL students in the classroom, therefore, he or she may be viewed as the “helper” teacher rather than a “real teacher”.
Complementary Instruction ModelTeacher A: Primary responsibility for
delivering core content.Teacher B: Primary responsibility for
delivering related instruction in areas of study and survival skills.
Expects Sped teacher to bring their specialty into the classroom.
Cons: Sped teacher is not involved in the rest of classroom.
Other Models…Parallel Teaching
Split classroom in half and each teacher teaches the lesson.
Other ModelsSkill Groups or Station teaching
Students broken into small groups and teachers instruct skills/stations.
Once you pick a model…COMMUNICATE about responsibilities and
expectations.Discuss grading, supervision of students, classroom
discipline, and lesson planning.Discuss communication with parents/students – cc
each other on emails, both should know of phone calls made and make sure to document ALL communication.
Be flexible – know that using a variety of styles can also work for your team.
Remember you are a TEAM.You are BOTH responsible for ALL students in the
class!!!
“The biggest challenge for educators is in deciding to share the role that has traditionally been individual: to share the goals, decisions, classroom instruction, responsibility for students, assessment of student learning, problem solving, and classroom management. The teachers must begin to think of it as our class.”
(Ripley, 2006)
Challenges of Collaboration:Lack commitment to plan and organizePlanning time togetherRelationship factorsAdministrative supportContinuous investment of timeFear of changePoor communicationDefinition of roles/following roles
Working through the tough stuff…CommunicationConflict ResolutionSharingGrading
CommunicationIdentify strengths and areas of need for each
team member.Stay on the same page…students will try to
find the teacher who gives in and play you against one another.
Communicate frequently about lesson planning.
Discuss behavior management – both team members have to be on the same page.
Conflict ResolutionCollaborative teaching is like a relationship, it
takes work.
Be professionalEstablish guidelines
Remember, students can sense discord.
Sharing Teaching ResponsibilitiesDuties and responsibilities to discuss
• Who starts class• Who does warm up• Who reviews homework• Who explains directions, expectations for
class…
Every facet of the class is discussed and assigned so both teachers share responsibilities.
Grades and GradingGrades and grading are a shared
responsibility. Both teachers should know the grades when going into meetings
When emailing parents, include both teacher names
The key to assessment in collaborative settings is to MODIFY the work not the grades
Contact with parents is essential – PowerSchool is NOT the only way for parents to get input on grades
Discuss how you are going to set up your Blackboard sites
The Big EndingEstablish a model that works for both of you
and the studentsCommunicate – it is the key ingredient for
successShare responsibilities and teaching, including
grading responsibilities
Collaborating teaching should be a great experience for both the students and the teachers.
Curriculum AdaptationsLottery Tickets – tickets for positive reinforcement –
tickets are put in bowl for drawingsCup Stacking – write content on outside of cup. Students
work in teams to stack cups in hierarchical orderStation Work – Create 4 to 5 stations for students to
move through. Covers a lot of content FAST!!!Jigsaw – Cooperative learning strategy in which each
student learns a component of material, then teaches others
Jeopardy/Who Wants to be a MillionaireCRISS strategies – Two column notes, pattern puzzles,
KWL, selective highlighting (color code)
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