TL;DR:
- Establishing consistent and honest communication methods, such as daily debriefs or shared documents, is crucial for co-teachers to ensure student growth and classroom cohesion.
- Co-teachers should plan together regularly, share responsibilities, be flexible, and present a united front to students and parents to foster a supportive learning environment.
- Adopting appropriate co-teaching strategies like parallel teaching, station teaching, and team teaching can enhance student understanding and address individual learning needs effectively.
Co-teaching is a collaborative approach in which a general education teacher and a special education teacher work with a class of general education students and students with disabilities. For co-teaching to be effective and beneficial to the students, the co-teachers must establish some best practices.
Best Practices of Co-Teaching
Communication
In a co-teaching situation, communication is key. Both teachers need to be on the same page and be aware of everything happening in the classroom that affects each student’s learning and growth. Co-teachers must learn to listen to each other and communicate honestly and actively. A method of communication needs to be developed by the pair to share the happenings of the day. Whether that is a debrief at the end of the day, a conversation before school begins, or a meeting at lunch, communication is essential for the team to thrive. There could also be a shared weekly Google document updated daily or a text at the end of the day. Communication is a best practice that cannot be ignored.
Build a Partnership
A partnership is needed in a co-teaching environment. Co-teachers must take the time to get to know each other, build a relationship, and establish trust. Honest communication will help to build that trust and partnership. Thus, a strong partnership will help guarantee student success.
Honest communication will help to build that trust and partnership. Thus, a strong partnership will help guarantee student success. Click To TweetPlan Together
Co-teachers need to plan together. They need to know the curriculum taught in each subject and each student’s progress. At least one day a week should be set aside to plan together and discuss student needs. They could also share a document where they modify things as the week progresses. They should decide who will take the lead in certain subject areas, which allows each teacher to focus on that area. This also allows them to decide which co-teaching method to use to teach those subjects.
Be Flexible
When a teacher steps into a co-teaching position, they lose their autonomy and are no longer in complete control of the classroom. In a co-teaching situation, the teachers must accept that and be flexible. There will have to be some compromise and give-and-take. They have to make decisions together, and flexibility is necessary.
Be a United Front
The students and parents must see the co-teachers as partners and a united front. They need to know that they work together and agree on all the decisions made in the classroom. The students need to know that what one teacher says and does will be the same. Before the school year begins, the co-teachers must agree on agendas, classroom procedures, discipline plans, positive reinforcement, classwork and homework policies, and school/home communication to have a united front.
Find the Right Co-Teaching Method
There are different co-teaching methods, and co-teachers should decide which works best in that teaching moment.
One Teach, One Observe
This method is helpful for formative assessments. This allows one teacher to walk around, observe students, and plan the next instructional steps.
One Teach, One Assist
This method assigns one teacher the main responsibility, and the other teacher walks around, monitors, and helps students.
Parallel Teaching
This allows students to better understand and grasp the material in a smaller group. The class is divided into two groups, and both teachers teach the subject matter simultaneously.
Station Teaching
This involves students working in groups and rotating through multiple stations while the teachers teach the content to each group.
Alternative Teaching
One teacher is responsible for the larger group, and the other teaches the content to a smaller group that may need specialized attention.
Team Teaching
Both teachers are delivering the lesson at the same time.
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Reflect
It is so important for co-teachers to take time to reflect on their experience. Reflection time at the end of the week helps prepare the next steps for the following weeks.
Reflection is also important at the end of the year. It is beneficial for co-teachers to plan a meeting at the end of the year to reflect on what worked and what they would like to change for the following year.
Always Find the Joy
No matter what, teaching is difficult and can be overwhelming at times. It is always important to find the small moments that bring joy. A smile or laughter in a co-teaching situation can help relieve the day’s stress and bring some joy to the day.
These best practices will enable co-teachers to succeed as they navigate their co-teaching experience and ultimately benefit the students being taught.
About Bridget Gengler
Bridget Gengler is a fourth grade teacher in Long Beach, California. She has taught bilingual education, general education, and GATE for the past 26 years. She’s passionate about building relationships and a strong classroom community that opens up doors of success for her students. She strives to empower all students to share their voices and their stories. Her class motto is “You matter! You are important! You have a story to tell and we want to hear it!” She brings her love of reading and writing to the classroom in the hopes that it will promote lifelong readers and writers.
Bridget believes that self-care is essential in an educator’s life. She takes time to focus on gratitude, mindfulness and kindness during the day. She contributes this balance to her success in the classroom.
Family is number one for her! Her most precious job is being a mom to four young adults, an energetic lab puppy, and a wife to a wonderful husband. When she is not teaching, writing or reading she is creating memories with them. They love to travel, discover new restaurants, and watch professional baseball.
