Co-Teaching

What is co-teaching?

"Co-teaching is typically perceived as two educational professionals working together to service a group of heterogeneous learners." -(Lisa Dieker Ph.D.)

So, co-teaching is two teachers, such as a science teacher and a special education teacher, working together to provide instruction and support for a class of learners with diverse needs.

What are the characteristics of
co-teaching?

Co-teaching is an avenue to provide services to students with disabilities in their general education classrooms.

An important point to remember is that the two teachers are both credentialed such as a math teacher and a special education teacher.

Typically a teacher paired with a paraprofessional is not considered co-teaching unless the paraprofessional is certified in a specific area.

Is co-teaching limited to two credentialed teachers or professionals?

No. Co-teaching includes two or more teachers.

What is the rationale for co-teaching?

To provide intense & individualized instruction for students with diverse educational needs in the general education classroom setting.

What are the benefits?

There are many benefits to co-teaching! Students stay in the same educational setting as their peers. Students can learn from content specialists and receive support from the special education teacher in one setting.

There are more benefits. It reduces the stigma attached to going to a separate room for instruction. It also allows students more elective class choices as the student receives support within the selected class.

There are social benefits as well for students as relationships can be formed because the student is not leaving the general classroom.

Co-teaching benefits all students in the classroom gifted students have time for enrichment activities, average students have another teacher to assist them, and at-risk students also have another teacher to help with their educational journey.

What are some potential problems?

Time - there may not be enough time to properly plan together.
Grading - how diverse students will be assessed needs to be determined at the beginning of the co-teaching relationship.

If there is not a "we" approach then the instruction may be fragmented. Student readiness is another issue to consider; this refers both to content and to having two teachers in the classroom.

Some people that share a common goal may just not get along, which may hinder a long term co-teaching relationship.

Applying Co-Teaching to My Future

When co-teaching I will remember that I do not need to become a content expert. When co-teaching I will also remember this benefits students, but also use the experience to benefit my teaching by taking the time to learn best practices from another teacher.

Sources:

• Dieker, L. (n.d.). Collaboration/Cooperative Teaching | Special Connections. Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/q=collaboration/cooperative_teaching
• Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2003). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.