Co-Teaching 101: A Beginning

1. Co-Teaching 101:A Beginning E. Q. : How can co-teaching be applied in the general classroom?

2. What is co-teaching?

3. What is co-teaching? Co-teaching occurs when two or more teachers, one general educator and the other a special service provider (e.g. special education, related services, ELL, reading) share physical space in order to actively instruct a blended group of students, including students with disabilities.

4. Co-teaching is a service delivery system, in which: • Two (or more) professionally credentialed staff • Share instructional responsibility • For a single group of students • Primarily in a single classroom or workspace

5. Co-teaching Definition (continued) • To teach required curriculum with mutual ownership, pooled resources, and joint accountability. • Although each individual’s level of participation may vary. Marilyn Friend (2007)

6. Co-teaching is not: • An extra set of hands in the classroom; • The general education teacher providing instruction as if she or he was teaching alone while the special educator roams; • Two individuals taking turns teaching;

7. Co-teaching is not: • An individual pulling a small group of students aside to deliver instruction completely separate from that being provided to the rest of the class. • Shoring up incompetent staff.

8. Why co-teaching? Why now? • IDEA and NCLB requirements • Gives students access to highly qualified subject- matter teachers (HQT) • Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) • Access to general education curriculum • Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) • Teacher Evaluations

9. NC Professional Teaching Standards • Standard I: TEACHERS DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP • Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school • Teachers lead the teaching profession • Teachers advocate for schools and students

10. NC Professional Teaching Standards • Standard II: TEACHERS ESTABLISH A RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR A DIVERSE POPULATION OF STUDENTS • Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with a caring adult • Teachers treat students as individuals • Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs

11. NC Professional Teaching Standards • Standard III: TEACHERS KNOW THE CONTENT THEY TEACH • Teachers make instruction relevant to students

12. NC Professional Teaching Standards • Standard IV: TEACHERS FACILITATE LEARNING FOR THEIR STUDENTS • Teachers know the ways in which lesson learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students • Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students • Teachers use a variety of instructional methods

13. NC Professional Teaching Standards • Standard V: TEACHERS REFLECT ON THEIR PRACTICE • Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment

14. Benefits of Co-Teaching • Shared responsibility for educating all students • Shared understanding and use of common assessment data • Shared ownership for programming and interventions

15. Benefits of Co-Teaching • Creating common understanding • Teachers learn from each other • Collegial relationships are created along with professional development

16. Benefits of Co-Teaching • Resources are shared • Management strategies are more consistent with frequent feedback • Individualization of instruction is fostered with multiple views of the students

17. Points to Ponder • Which of the definition components of co-teaching seem most critical to you and why?

18. Roles and Responsibilities Regular Educator Special Educator • Expert on Grade level content • Curriculum based assessment • Providing whole group instruction • Develop structure of classroom • Plan lessons, activities, tests, assignments, etc. • Collaborate with the special educator on curriculum, modifications, grading, progress reports, etc. • Assist in the IEP development and serve as a member of the team • Expert on individualized instruction • Provide instructional strategies and modifications recommended in regards to curriculum, behavior plans, lessons, activities, alternate assessments, assignments, etc. • Coordinate IEP’s, evaluations, IEP Team meetings, etc. • Collaborate with the regular education teacher • Collaborate with the entire team, including parents and students Parity !

19. Examples of Co-Teaching

20. Co –teaching Approaches • One Teach, One Observe • Station Teaching • Parallel Teaching • Alternative Teaching • Team Teaching • One Teach, One Assist

21. One Teach, One Observe One teacher teaches and the other systematically collects data on a student, group of students or entire class on behaviors the professionals have previously agreed upon.

22. One Teach One Observe

23. One Teach, One Observe Benefits: • Opportunity for observation of students and data collection • Jointly decided specifics to observe and analyze in advance • Both professionals should discuss the results of the observations • Deepen understanding of each other’s teaching styles • Requires little joint planning

24. One Teach, One Observe Drawbacks, if used to excess: • Special service provider is relegated to the role of assistant • Students do not see teachers as having equivalent responsibility and authority Recommended Use: Periodic (5-10%)

25. Station Teaching Students in groups of three or more rotate to various teacher-led and independent work stations where new instruction, review, and/or practice is provided. Students may work at all stations during the rotation

26. Teacher 2 Group 2 Teacher 1 • Computer center • Silent reading • Project table • Assessment table Group 3 Group 1 Students move rotating to each group

27. Station Teaching Benefits: • Involves both educators in instruction • Enables a clear division of labor for planning and teaching • Allows for different teaching styles • Students benefit from a lower teacher-pupil ratio • Students with disabilities are integrated into groups, rather than singled out

28. Station Teaching Drawbacks: • Noise and movement within the classroom • Teachers or students may be distracted by two teachers talking in the classroom at the same time. • Teachers need to think about how to divide instruction. Hierarchical material cannot be presented using this approach. • Lessons must be timed so groups can move as scheduled. Recommended Use: Frequent (30-40%)

29. Parallel Teaching Students are divided into two heterogeneous groups. Each partner teaches a group essentially the same material.

30. Teacher 1 Both teachers teach the same content in the same room simultaneously Teacher 2

31. Parallel Teaching Benefits: • Lowers the teacher-student ratio, while insuring diversity in each group; • Is good for review, drill-and-practice activities, topics needing student discussion, or projects needing close teacher supervision.

32. Parallel Teaching Drawbacks: • Cannot be used for initial instruction unless both educators are qualified to teach the material (primarily at the high school level) • Noise and activity levels need to be monitored; • Teachers need to pace instruction similarly • Requires that both teachers are familiar with content and how to teach it Recommended Use: Frequent (30-40%)

33. Alternative Teaching One teacher works with a small group of students, while the other instructs the large group in some content or activity that the small group can afford to miss.

34. Teacher 2 Whole group Pre-teaching Reviewing Enrichment Special interest Small group Teacher 1

35. Alternative Teaching Benefits: • Provides highly intensive instruction; • Ensures that all students get to interact with a teacher in a small group; • May assist with reducing behavior problems with some students;

36. Alternative Teaching Drawbacks: • Students with disabilities may be stigmatized by being grouped repeatedly for preteaching or re-teaching • Each teacher must take turns working with the small group or may be viewed as an assistant • The same students must not repeatedly selected for the small group. Documentation must be kept so all students may participate Recommended Use: Occasional (20-30%)

37. Team Teaching Partners plan and share instruction of all students, whether it occurs in a large group, in monitoring students working independently, or in facilitating groups of students working on shared projects. Marilyn Friend

39. Teaming Benefits: • Shared planning and instruction by both teachers for the large group • Allows teachers to play off one another • Can be energizing and entertaining

40. Teaming Drawbacks: • Loss of the valuable instructional technique of grouping; • May not be comfortable for new partnerships of teachers. Recommended Use: Occasional (20-30%)

41. One Teach, One Assist One teaches while the other supports the instructional process by assisting students who need redirection or who have questions.

42. Teacher 1 Teacher 2

43. One Teach, One Assist Benefits: • Allows for individual and classroom support during a lesson • Allows for more effective and efficient instruction while one can check student responses and carry out management tasks such as distributing materials

44. One Teach, One Assist Drawbacks: • Has the greatest potential to be over-used and abused, with little benefit to the students over a traditional, one-teacher classroom • May distract students from attending to the teacher during instruction Recommended Use: Seldom (<20%, <10% is better)

46. WSFCS Co-Teaching

47. How do students feel about co-teaching?

48. What makes a successful team? • Working effectively with another adult • Sense of humor • Willingness to set aside differences • Set of common knowledge and skills • Discipline-specific knowledge and skills • Shared philosophy/core beliefs • The professional relationship is based on: • Parity • Communication • Respect • Trust Co-teachers make a commitment to building and maintaining their professional relationship.

49. Points to Ponder… Again Which of the definition components of co-teaching seem most critical to you and why? 49

50. Collaboration means. . . • Two equal participants who labor together • Col labor ation