1. Co-Teaching
Latricia Trites, Ph.D.
September 8 & 10, 2008

2. Co-Teaching Partnership Trust Hard work Communication
Shared preparation and shared responsibility.
Both are always working. Each section of each lesson should specify roles of both.
Considered a very demanding work arrangement.

3. Co-Teaching Definition
Two (or more) educators or other certified staff
Contract to share instructional responsibility
For a single group of students
Primarily in a single classroom or workspace
For specific content (objectives)
With mutual ownership, pooled resources, and joint accountability
Cook & Friend (2004)

4. What Co-Teaching Isn’t
One person teaching one subject followed by another person teaching a different subject
One person teaching one subject while another person prepares instructional materials, makes copies, corrects papers, etc.
One person teaching a lesson while other people simply observe
One person’s ideas about what and how to teach being the only ideas implemented
One person being assigned as a tutor
Villa, Thousand, & Nevin (2008)

5. Elements of Co-Teaching
Common, publicly agreed-on goal
Shared belief system
Parity (equity of dual roles)
Distributed functions theory of leadership
Cooperative process
Face-to-Face Interactions
Positive Interdependence
Interpersonal Skills
Monitoring Co-Teacher Progress
Individual Accountability

6. Background on Co-Teaching
Used extensively in special education.
Used at times in ESL in the U.S.
Used in “inclusive classrooms” in the U.S.

7. Why Use Co-Teaching? Complementary Skills
“Two heads are better than one.”
Increased time and attention

8. Benefits of Co-Teaching
Mentoring and Professional Development
Support
Effective, culturally appropriate teaching
Impact on future teaching

9. Co-Teaching Approaches
Teach and Observe
Teach and Drift
Parallel Teaching
Station Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching
Complementary Instruction
Supportive Co-Teaching

10. Teach and Observe One teaches while the other observes learners.
Observer should have a defined task.
Qualities
Good for diagnosing problems with learners or groups.
Works well for informal assessment.
Good for gauging participation.
Provides excellent teaching feedback.
Good for gathering data about learners and learning, not teacher development.

11. Teach and Drift
One teaches while the other drifts around the room checking comprehension, activities, etc.
Qualities
Good when one teacher has particular expertise
Good when students need close monitoring either for behavior or comprehension
Good for “getting to know” each other as co-teachers
Can be distracting to students
Need to ensure that both teachers get the chance to teach and to drift

12. Parallel Teaching
Each one teaches the same content in separate groups.
Characteristics
Good for low teacher-student ratio situations
Fosters student participation and discussion
Good for drill and practice, re-teaching, and test review activities

13. Station Teaching
Each one teaches different material. Students switch stations.
Content must be non-consecutive.
May have one station with independent work (worksheet)
Characteristics
Good for introducing several similar, complex topics
Good for practicing different language skills with the same content (e.g., reading comprehension then writing task)

14. Alternative Teaching
One teaches mainstream content to most of the class while the other teaches adapted content to a small group.
Characteristics
Good for groups with differing ability levels

15. Team Teaching
One delivers content while the other provides clarification and support.
Characteristics
Good for demonstrations
Good when co-teachers are extremely comfortable working with each other

16. Complementary Instruction
One teacher delivers the content while the other teacher delivers the skills.

17. Supportive Co-Teaching
One delivers the content while the other oversees activities.

18. Effective Co-Teaching
Mixes and matches models.
Changes models and roles for variety and interest for learners.
May involve delegation of specific tasks to one teacher (e.g., one is the phonics expert).
Always specifies the role of each teacher in each activity.

19. How to Decide Which Co-Teaching Model to Use
Consider student characteristics and needs
Consider teacher characteristics and needs
Consider the curriculum, content, and instructional strategies to be taught
Consider pragmatic issues such as location of class, noise level, size of class, etc.

20. Tips for Effective Co-Teaching
Get to know your partner
Create a workable schedule
Vary instructional practices
Avoid second guessing your partner
COMMUNICATE

21. Get to Know Your Partner
Complete a co-teaching checklist
Discuss personal and professional issues
Discuss any “pet peeves”?
Discuss any health concerns
Discuss learning styles and preferences
Create a signal system for communicating in the classroom

22. Create a Workable Schedule
Find time to plan together
Discuss what will be taught, how it will be taught, and by whom
Create a “co-teaching” lesson plan template to be used