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)