TL;DR:
- Successful co-teaching requires trust and shared expectations, developed over time through relationship building and communication.
- Regular co-planning sessions are essential for creating cohesive lessons and addressing student needs, ensuring both teachers are aligned and prepared.
- Implementing various co-teaching techniques, such as station teaching and parallel teaching, allows teachers to leverage their unique strengths and provide targeted support to students.
We Are Co-Teachers
Students walk into a room and see two adults. Their initial thoughts are, “My teacher must have a student teacher this year.” However, they soon realize both teachers are teaching and working together simultaneously. It’s different from having a student teacher or a paraprofessional in the room. We are co-teachers.
Yes, one is a classroom teacher and one is an LBS1, but to the students, we each provide instruction, feedback, and guidance. The teaching and collaboration the students see do not come naturally but are built over time by building strong relationships.
If you are trying to co-teach without establishing trust and shared expectations, our guess is it isn’t going so well.
Teachers who are new to each other often may find themselves unsure of how to interact with their co-teachers. General education teachers want to find ways to incorporate their special education teachers into their lessons and classrooms. In contrast, special educators try to incorporate their knowledge and skills without stepping on the toes of the general educator. This is where tools such as personality assessments can come in handy. Without taking time to get to know one another, we are constantly guessing what is going to upset the other or how we might strengthen our lessons for students as a team.
Hi, I’m Janel. I am a general education teacher in a 7th grade Language Arts classroom. I teach five sections, two of which are co-taught.
Hi, I’m Tayler. I am a special education teacher. I co-teach two sections of Language Arts and have Instructional Language Arts and Literature & Composition.
Together, we are going to speak from our experience of co-teaching for five years and counting! First, we want to share more about how important creating a trusting relationship is to work together for the betterment of students. Secondly, we will talk more specifically about lesson planning and assessment while focusing on instructional models you can use. We hope you finish this blog feeling confident to try new ideas with your co-teacher for your students. That’s right. YOUR students. In an inclusive environment, students need to see us as equals.
Tools
To know how to partner with your co-teacher, you must first understand their personality and the way they work. Personality assessments such as the “color personality” assessment, an Enneagram test, or the Myers-Briggs Personality assessment can help you to understand the type of person you are working with. You can learn their strengths and weaknesses, your own strengths and weaknesses, and how to play off of each other.
Both of us took the “color personality” and Enneagram assessments. We both scored as “gold,” indicating we are organized, dependable, and hard-working. This compatibility helps us co-plan effectively. However, if one of us had scored as “blue,” which signifies empathy and compassion, there might be misunderstandings. For instance, a “gold” person might view a “blue” as overly emotional, while a “blue” might see a “gold” as too rigid. Understanding these differences can improve problem-solving and communication.
In our case, when taking the Enneagram assessment, we found that one was a “1” and the other was a “3w2.” It was quick and easy to research how to interact with each type, ways to support each other, and how to work together effectively. While these assessments aren’t foolproof, they provide valuable insights and are a great starting point for getting to know each other.
Time
Co-planning is the foundation of co-teaching. To make co-planning work, each teacher must carve out time out of their schedule to meet with each other. Co-planning starts with discussing shared responsibilities. Each teacher must know each other’s roles, lessons, student needs, and more. This is all done during co-planning. We co-plan in the morning before school on Fridays to prepare for the week ahead.
During this co-planning session, one of the most valuable outcomes is to communicate where the students are currently and where we want them to go. We discuss students’ IEP goals and accommodations as well as flexible grouping for the following week. Sometimes this is due to the need for re-learn opportunities or students who need additional support. It is the responsibility of both educators to know and understand these needs.
An obvious benefit to co-planning is to allow a more streamlined lesson with natural flow. Once we know the plan, we can tag team our instruction. We definitely feel it when we skip these co-planning sessions due to illness, days off, or other conflicts!
We simply aren’t as effective as inclusive educators when co-planning is not a priority. Click To Tweet
Techniques
Below are some models we use to co-teach.
One teach, one observe.
We use this most often during data collection.
Station teaching: Each teacher has a small group and a third group is independent.
Janel might be re-teaching at one station, students could be working on an assigned task in station two, while Tayler is pre-teaching at station three.
Parallel teaching: Two groups of students. The teachers are presenting the same material to each group.
This allows for a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, but it is important that LBS1s have the content knowledge and confidence to take this on. In our case, this works well since Tayler’s room is down the hall from Janel’s. It also allows us to divide behavior issues.
Alternative teaching: One teacher takes a small group for more intensive instruction.
Both teachers have active roles, but this approach requires strong data collection and planning. We typically use this model when students are behind and need additional support to break down their longer writing assignments or when they need an alternative way to demonstrate their learning.
Both teachers teach in “tag team.”
Teaching the lesson at different levels or with varied styles is beneficial but requires trust and coordination. We often use this method when introducing new topics or during daily routines like grammar mentor sentences. The advantage is that we each bring our unique perspectives. Given the generation gap between us, Janel relies on Tayler for trending topics and current examples.
One teach, one assist.
This should not be used daily, and we wouldn’t recommend the general education teacher be the one to teach and the special education teacher be the one to assist, so it does take some communication during co-planning to avoid falling into this rut. It does, however, hold value when learning new content or checking in one-on-one with students during instruction.
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/6-models-of-co-teaching has additional resources and explanations on these models.
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Trust
The biggest conflict between co-teachers is often a lack of trust, but we have established this over time. When we first started co-teaching, we would each grade half of the class and then come together to compare our scores, explain our grading decisions, and discuss our thoughts on each section. Doing this from the beginning helped us build trust in one another, making us more efficient with our time when grading assessments.
In addition, if Tayler works more through the writing process with a student, she grades that student’s final essay or project, while Janel assesses students she conferred with during the writing process. Because we have established trust, we can ensure consistency in how students are assessed.
Together
Inclusive classrooms need teachers who are committed to working together for the betterment of all students in their care. Balancing responsibilities is essential to classroom management in a co-taught classroom. We believe it is beneficial for both parties to grade students with IEPs and without. We take time to sit down and co-plan together. When we have a content expert combined with a learning expert, the outcome is co-teaching. When there is trust established, we don’t question one another when it comes to classroom management.
In our experience, we have found this to be the most effective way to co-teach. Just like when starting with a new class, it begins with relationship building and communication. Once those expectations are discussed, creating a consistent co-planning schedule leads to a beneficial learning environment for students. We believe we can be our best for our students when we have a common goal. Good communication allows us to ensure we are our best selves as co-teachers.
As students come through the doors, we look at each other and, without words, spring into action. This dance we do is a daily step of who needs what, how we can assist, and what’s next for our students. We are co-teachers.
About Janel Sebeny
Janel Sebeny is a middle school Language Arts teacher in Normal, Illinois. Janel holds a Master’s in Reading from Illinois State University and is the Past President of Illinois Reading Council. She serves as the PBIS Tier 1 Coach, Language Arts Middle School District Chair, and teacher liaison for Beyond the Books Educational Foundation. She has a passion for literacy and lifelong learning.
Janel is not only reflective in her practice, but also the first to share with others what she learns. In fact, she recently received an Illinois State Board of Education 2023 Those Who Excel Award. While she is not creating engaging and relevant lessons for her middles, she is spending time with family and friends. Janel resides with her husband and three children in Bloomington, Illinois.
About Tayler Musselman
Tayler Musselman has been teaching in central Illinois for nine years. She is currently a seventh grade Special Education teacher, but has also taught sixth and eight grade as well. Tayler is currently the building chair for the junior high she teaches, which includes nine Special Education teachers. She has her masters degree in reading as well as a reading specialist certification. Tayler recently won a “Those Who Excel” award from ISBE for meritorious service. Currently, she is pursuing her Directors of Special Education certification. When Tayler is not teaching, she loves spending time with her two kids, husband, and two dogs.
