The Ins, Outs of Co-TeachingWritten By:Marjorie Wunder and Candy Lindsey, Center for Innovations in Education

"Classroom corners—stale and pale! Classroom corners—cobweb covered! Classroom corners—spooky and lonely!

Teacher, let me dance in your classroom corner! Let the outside world in!"

By Albert Cullum"The Geranium on the Window Sill Just

Died"

The evolution from teaching in isolated classrooms to sharing responsibility for orchestrated learning communities is a result of the incorporation of inclusive practices and extensive research. General and special educators (Native speaking teachers) who co-teach share more than the classroom environment; they share responsibility for all students' learning. An array of co-teaching models provides a framework through which general and special educators can implement success for a diverse classroom of students.

Co-teaching occurs when two or more educators provide instruction to students with varying abilities in the same physical area. These professionals are partners in the education process and actively and jointly plan and implement curriculum. The co-teaching pair includes a general and special educator who can share their expertise and knowledge to provide a rich experience for all students (Dettmer, Thurston, & Dyck, 1993).

The student population in a co-taught class is diverse. It includes students with disabilities students of varying levels, students from diverse backgrounds. This blending in a general learning community setting provides a richer context for all learners.

Sharing a Common Belief

The establishment of a common belief about inclusion provides a meaningful context for decisions pertaining not only to teaching and student management, but also to the way the team sees itself. Cook and Friend (1996) identified student-centered rationales for the use of co-teaching:

1) Increase instructional options for all students: Co-teaching is a means of bringing the strengths of two teachers with varied expertise together to enhance learning for all students.

2) Improve program intensity and continuity: Students receive more instruction and are engaged in their learning as participation and opportunities for interaction are increased. The fragmentation that occurs with pull-out programs is avoided. Generalization is enhanced as application of skills and knowledge takes place in the same environment in which they are introduced.

3) Increase professional support: One teacher facing a group of students within the boundaries of a classroom is isolated from other teachers and classrooms. With co-teaching, a collegial relationship is established and nurtured. Co-teachers have the opportunity to relieve each other, help clarify their partner's presentations, and gauge student needs at particular portions of the curriculum.

Understanding Co-Teaching Roles (see overleaf)

Co-teaching arrangements naturally grow out of a close working relationship. There are five models of cooperative teaching: complementary instruction, station teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, and team teaching. However in practices the boundaries are often blurred as student needs and teacher preference evolve (Thousand & Villa, 1990).

Plan Together

When general and special educators collaborate, planning time becomes sacred. Before a teaching team can represent itself as united in front of a classroom of students, an investment in time together is crucial. A regularly scheduled planning time, exclusive of interruptions that typically demand teachers' time, is necessary for planning. An investment in time validates responsibilities and divisions of labor and also helps build trust between members of the teaching team.

Accountability

The high level of trust necessary to become an effective teaching team is grounded in accountability. Not only does each teacher hold him or herself accountable to follow through on the commitments made as to time, materials, and academic responsibility, but each teacher also is held accountable for the structure of the classroom and the content of the lessons (Thousand & Villa, 1990).

Reflection and Evaluation

Reflecting on the team's own professional performance is an intimidating thought for most teachers. However, the only way to grow as a team is to celebrate accomplishments and to identify those aspects that need further development (Keller & Cheng-Cravedi, 1995). Initially teams are usually more comfortable reflecting on their performance through student accomplishments. Discussion of individual teaching and the progress of the team usually follow with time, increased trust, and risk taking.

Do's and Don'ts

of Co-Teaching

Do discuss routine matters, such as discipline, classroom management, and expectations for students.

Do allow time for reflection, planning and reevaluation of the co-teaching.

Do discuss modifications details of sharing space.

Don't regard co-teaching as just bureaucracy.

Don’t be inflexible. Don't expect the co-

teacher to work only with some students

Don't use a single model of co-teaching.

(Cook & Friend, 1996)

References

Cook, L., & Friend, M. (1996, September). Co-teaching: What's it all about? CEC Today.

Dettmer, P., Thurston, L. P., & Dyck, N. (1993). Consultation, collaboration, and teamwork: For students with special needs. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Keller, N., & Cheng-Cravedi, L. (1995). Voice of inclusion: Developing a shared voice—yours, mine, and ours. In R. A. Villa and J. S. Thousand (Eds.), Creating an inclusive school (pp. 80–86). Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publications. (Available from the CISE library. LP #1983)

Thousand, J. S., & Villa, R. A. (1990). Sharing expertise and responsibilities through teaching teams. In W. Stainback & S. Stainback (Eds.), Support systems for educating students in the mainstream (pp. 151–166). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.