Facilitating Student Learning:

Co-Teaching English Language Arts

Villa, R., Thousand, J., Nevin, A. (2008) A guide to co-teaching: Practical tips to facilitate student learning. Corwinn Press, Thousand Oaks.

What is Co-Teaching?

Involves two or more professionals delivering instruction to a diverse or blended group of students in a single physical space

A sharing of teaching responsibilities

A service delivery model that is based on the philosophy of inclusion and supports collaborative practices among professionals.

“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, p. 48

What benefits are there for students?

Access to general education curriculum and classroom teacher

Increases individualized instruction and teacher attention

Enhances academic performance

Reduces stigma associated with the “pull-out” model

Stronger peer relationships and social skills

Better attitudes about themselves, academic performance and social skills

Increased participation of students with disabilities

Continuity of instruction during teacher absence

Students exposed to positive models of adult collaboration and team work

All students have the opportunity to gain an appreciation of diversity within their learning and social community

What benefits are there for teachers?

Opportunity for professional growth through the sharing of knowledge, skills, and resources ie. teaching strategies, styles, ways to differentiate

Increases job satisfaction and decreases feelings of isolation

Reduces student-teacher ratio

Student support teachers increase their understanding of general education curriculum and classroom expectations

General educators increase their ability to adapt/modify lessons

Improves communication between special and general education teachers

Ability to intensify instruction

Second set of eyes valuable for difficult situations…extreme behavior, subtle bullying etc.

What does co-teaching look like?

There are four approaches to co-teaching:

1. Supportive Co-Teaching - One teacher leads and the other observes or offers assistance

2. Parallel Co-Teaching - Teachers work with groups and present the same information.

3. Complimentary Co-Teaching -A teacher enhances the instruction provided by the other teacher (i.e., mini lesson)

4. Team Teaching- Both teachers share the planning and the instruction in a coordinated fashion.

Supportive Co-Teaching:

One teacher leads the instruction and the other observes or assists students…similar to teacher/EA partnership

Often overused as it requires the least amount of change

Does not capitalize on the expertise and talents of both teachers

It is important that the supportive teacher not become ‘velcroed’ to individual students

Should take place most often in the classroom, but may have short periods of time with a child or group outside the classroom if necessary

Parallel Co-Teaching:

Involves co-teachers presenting the same or different content to groups of students.

In one variation, called “Station Teaching”, co- teachers presents different content to small groups of students. Students rotate through the classroom stations. One of the stations may require students to work independently.

This approach provides more individualized support and allows students to receive content from two different teachers using different strategies. (ie. same concept introduced in different ways in order to reinforce)

Complimentary Co-Teaching:

One teacher enhances the instruction of another. This can be accomplished by performing a demonstration or providing a mini-lesson within a lesson.

Capitalizes on the teaching strengths of both teachers, but requires more planning time, more flexibility, and a higher degree of trust than the first two approaches.

A variation of this approach is what is called “alternative teaching” where one teacher teaches the whole class, while the other pre-teaches, re-teaches, or enriches the lesson to a small group of students. This approach can provide greater individualized instruction.

Team Teaching Co-Teaching:

Involves both teachers sharing in the planning and the delivery of the instruction in a coordinated fashion.

Lessons could be divided based on each teacher’s strengths or both teachers could instruct simultaneously in an almost conversational manner.

This approach requires a good working relationship between the teachers and a high level of trust.

Considerations for success:

1. Joint planning time – mandatory, regular, scheduled, priority Schedule co-teachers prep time together Provide substitute coverage a few times during the year Use school-wide activity days Plan before and after school Combine two classes and release teacher Release teachers from some committee responsibilities Administration cover classes from time to time

2. Joint assessment – student movement, teaching plans3. Joint ‘team’ meetings 4. Classroom management – routines firmly in place5. Physical space6. Curriculum outcome knowledge – planning with the desired results in mind7. Professional development

An understanding of co-teaching Development of interpersonal, collaborative, and conflict resolution

skills Instructional strategies Knowledge and skills for differentiating instruction Characteristics of learners with different learning needs

8. Administrative support9. The three ‘C’s of Co-teaching are:

a. Communicate

b. Communicate in a different way

c. Communicate again!

“Do you see what I mean?”

“Does that sound right to you?”

“Can you share your thoughts about how we should do this?”

Building and maintaining positive relationships:

Trust and respect

Commitment to team goals

Effective interpersonal, collaborative, and conflict resolution skills

Understanding of self and partner

Continuous investment of time

Beginning Stage:

Communication may be guarded

Often one teacher teaches and the other assists

One teacher is typically designated the behavior manager

Compromising Stage:

Communication is more open and interactive

Planning is shared

Both teachers are involved in the instruction through mini-lessons

There is a mutual development of rules and routines for students

Collaborative Stage:

Effective communication is modeled for students

Planning is continual both outside and during instruction

Both teachers participate simultaneously in presenting the lesson

The teachers have a co-developed classroom management system that includes individual behavior plans

Obstacles and Barriers:

Fear of conflict

Dealing poorly with frustration

Lack of a shared vision or an inability to work with colleagues possessing different personalities or philosophies

Poor communication among partners

Low self-esteem or a lack of PD – train as partners

Lack of teacher knowledge & skill in classroom management, research-based instruction & high quality assessment methods

Lack of willingness to invest the time or effort

Reluctance to ‘lose’ control of the classroom

Lack of administrative support or understanding

Roles and Responsibilities:

“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, in Cramer, 2006, p.13