1. The Keys to successful co-teaching
Allie South

2. What is co-teaching?
Involves two equally-qualified individuals who may or may not have the same area of expertise jointly delivering instruction to a group of students.

3. Different types of CO-teaching
One member of the team takes the lead role and the other member rotates among students to provide support
Supportive Co-teaching
Support personnel and the classroom teacher instruct different heterogeneous groups of students
Parallel Co-teaching
A member of the co-teaching team does something to supplement or complement the instruction provided by the other member of the team
Complementary Co-teaching
The members of the team co-teach along side one another and share responsibility for planning, teaching, and assessing the progress of all students in the class
Team Teaching

4. How are co-teaching strategies similar?
Two or more co-teachers in the classroom
Capitalizes on specific strengths and expertise of co-teachers
Provides greater teacher/student ratio and brings additional 1-1 support for students in the classroom
All approaches have benefits and cautions associated with their use
Students are heterogeneously grouped by mixed abilities and interests
Shared responsibilities requires trust, communication, planning time, and coordination of effort

5. What are potential problems with co-teaching?
Supportive Co-Teaching:
Staying in the supportive role, due to lack of planning time
Ineffective use of expertise
Parallel Co-Teaching:
Noise level can become uncomfortably high when numerous activities are occurring in the same room
Failing to adequately prepare other co-teachers to ensure they deliver instruction as intended, since you cannot monitor each other while you are simultaneously teaching

6. Continued…. Complementary Co-Teaching: Team Teaching:
Not monitoring the students who need it
Failing to plan for “role release,” so all co-teachers get to teach the content
Team Teaching:
Too much teacher talk, repetition, and lack of student- student instruction

7. 6 steps for success Establish Rapport
Get to know each other on a personal level before students arrive
What things do you have in common? Are you married? Children? Hobbies?
Identify your teaching styles and use them to create a cohesive classroom
How do you manage behaviors? What are your discipline styles?
Discuss strengths and weaknesses
How can you utilize each instructor’s strengths and weaknesses?

8. 6 steps to success continued…
Discuss Individualized Education Plans and regular education goals
The special and regular education teacher can then work together in meeting the student’s goals and ensuring adequate progress
Formulate a plan of action and act as a unified team
Consider the following items in your plan of action:
Scheduling, expected classroom behaviors, classroom procedures, grading, communication between home and school
Take risks and grow
Learn from each other, and grow as professionals

9. Co-teaching is/is not Co-Teaching Is……. Co-Teaching Is Not…..
Shared decision making
Collaboration
Inclusion
Shared leadership
All teachers responsible for all students
One teach, One observe
Effective teaching
One teach- one sit
One teach- one prepare materials
Teacher and paraeducator
Tutoring
When the ideas of one person prevail

10. Characteristics that play a part in compatibility
Communication
Flexibility
Shared common philosophy
Clear definition of roles and responsibilities

11. Compatibility
Principal
Co-Teacher
Co-Teacher

12. References