TL;DR:

• Co-teaching can bring apprehension or excitement; the key is equality between teachers.
• Successful co-teaching requires open communication, shared classroom space, and mutual respect.
• Both teachers should be seen as equals by students, with shared responsibility and visibility.

When educators hear the word co-teaching, a couple of emotions immediately surface. For some, there’s apprehension. For others, it’s excitement! I was and still am the latter. 

Before, I’d heard of the co-teaching concept, but it usually just meant there was a lead teacher and an Intervention Specialist (I.S.) who offered support as needed. The I.S. would get an old, rickety student desk in a dark corner of the room. They would primarily help the students on their caseload and occasionally pull the same students for additional support. The class would be divided into the students receiving help from the I.S. and the students who don’t. For a class meant to be inclusive, this approach misses the mark.

Some educators implement co-teaching as intended, where the teacher and the I.S. are seen as equals in the eyes of the students and parents. The I.S. and the teacher plan together and consult each other when grading. The partnership goes beyond the behind-the-scenes work. The co-teaching concept involves both educators sharing the spotlight. 

But, in my experience, I hadn’t witnessed it. This way of co-teaching was like a mythical creature–one that is read about in books or heard as folklore. Thankfully, that mythical creature became a reality for me during the 23-24 school year, and I lucked out! 

Change in Mindset

My co-teacher, Shannon Beatty, and I are like peanut butter and jelly. We don’t overpower each other; instead, we complement one another by taking both of our unique experiences and blending them together in perfect harmony (well it’s not always perfect, but you get the point)!

Beatty, a compassionate Intervention Specialist, graduated from Miami University and earned her Master’s with the illustrious Ohio Writing Project. To say that she understands her craft would be an understatement. She is an expert differentiator and rapport-building genius. She knows how to give grace while also holding students accountable. 

I, too, graduated from Miami University and will earn my Master’s with the Ohio Writing Project. We both agree that building reading and writing communities within the classroom is key. We are patient and understanding but keep our expectations high. These commonalities helped when we started talking about what we wanted OUR classroom to look like. We had to have an open and honest conversation about our core beliefs and teaching philosophies. 

Share the Spotlight

Sharing the spotlight can be uneasy, especially for veteran teachers who have been in the game for 20+ years. Their classrooms run like well-oiled machines, so why fix what isn’t broken? 

While I sympathize with those who are apprehensive, I urge them to consider all the good that can come from co-teaching. Imagine being in a classroom with 28 students. You just finished your whole group lecture and now it’s time for them to practice on their own. After answering the same questions multiple times in a row, frustration fills the room. You stop the class and restart. 

Now imagine the same classroom. Not with one qualified teacher, but TWO qualified teachers. Instead of desperately raised hands, students are being supported via small groups. Your co-teacher anticipated confusion because of her lens as an Intervention Specialist. The I.S. is including images and drawings for her small group students whereas you are teaching RACER in your small group. The students get to choose which small group will best support their learning preferences. The students in co-taught classes are well-supported! 

Change in Space

When beginning the co-teaching journey, the conversations and the physical classroom both matter. If the expectation is to collaborate, create, and differentiate together, then there can’t be only one teacher desk and one name on the door. Whoever’s name is on the door is automatically seen as the lead teacher, and any other adult is simply a visitor. 

Beatty had her very own teacher desk. It was the same size, make, and model as mine. Plus, her name was on the door too! This set a tone from day one that we are BOTH lead teachers. We also arranged the furniture together. We discussed where we wanted the bookshelves, our teacher desks, and the student desks to go. This allowed both of our personalities to shine through the classroom. 

We even have a kidney table in our room, which is rare in junior high and high school general education classrooms (at least from my experience). Small group instruction, once as elusive as a mythical creature, is now a regular part of our classroom routine.

Use Space as Equals

Beatty and I also use this changed space as equals. If Beatty is leading the lesson, I am across from her using proximity to make sure students are engaged and listening. I will also add to what Beatty is saying by offering examples or making a clarification. I will write the key points of what she is saying on the whiteboard so that students have a written reminder. This shows the students that both of us are equals. 

It’s important to note that successful implementation of the co-teaching model can look different for each pair of teachers, but three criteria ring true:

1. Conversations about core beliefs, pedagogies, and personality traits need to take place.
2. The classroom has to be set up to allow for equality between the I.S. and the Gen. Ed. teacher.
3. The space must also be used by both the I.S. and the Gen. Ed. teacher so that students see both teachers as equals.

About Rebecca Huff