TL;DR:

• Co-teaching is a relationship similar to an arranged marriage with shared experiences that feel like triumphs and challenges.
• Continue to get to know each other personally and professionally to build the relationship. Ask questions to learn more about each other.
• Have proactive communication to discuss how you will share responsibilities. Ask reflective questions.
• Recognize each co-teaching partner is unique and can grow to be better together over time.

Co-teaching relationships are truly a marriage.

Much like an arranged marriage, two teachers are selected by school administration to form a union in a shared classroom space.  From that moment forward, two teachers have entered, at least, a minimum school year marital commitment. Within this new marital commitment, both teachers possess their own individual expertise, experience, and personality.  Some co-teacher newlyweds may innately be similar or mesh instantly.  In contrast, some co-teacher newlyweds may be quite different or unintentionally clash.  

Throughout the beginning stages of working together, co-teachers develop a foundational relationship.  Most often, this relationship is formed while both adults are inquiry-based learning together in their shared classroom.  Just like the old leadership adage, co-teachers are building their ship while they are sailing it. While co-teaching together, co-teachers are creating shared experiences and will encounter growing pains.  These experiences shape their co-teaching foundational relationship and directly impact mutual trust and respect.  As a result of lived experiences within the beginning stage, a co-teaching relationship emerges with a level of strength and possible fractures.  

Whether you are in your first year of your co-teaching marriage or are nearing the end of another year together, co-teaching marriages can be filled with triumphs and challenges. So how do we better our co-teaching relationships?

Whether you are in your first year of your co-teaching marriage or are nearing the end of another year together, co-teaching marriages can be filled with triumphs and challenges. So how do we better our co-teaching relationships? Click To Tweet

Continue to Get to Know Each Other

First, it is important that co-teachers continue to get to know each other as humans.  Co-teachers should find natural low stakes opportunities like eating lunch together to chat.  Lunch topics and questions could include: How would you describe your sense of humor?  What are your favorites? How do you spend your time outside of school?  This will grow deeper connections and help co-teachers find common ground.

Next, it is important that co-teachers continue to get to know each other as teachers.  Co-teachers should intentionally observe each other in action while together.  After observations, co-teachers can ask their teammate follow up questions including: How would you describe your teacher personality? What are your instructional and management philosophies?  What are your classroom pet peeves?  Not only will co-teachers learn about their colleague as a teacher, in time, they’ll learn from their strengths as well. 

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Engage in Proactive Communication

Further, co-teachers should proactively communicate about anything and everything pertaining to their shared classroom.  During co-planning time, co-teachers should plan how they will share co-planning, co-teaching, and co-assessing responsibilities.  Co-teachers should consider asking questions including: “How will we approach…” or “How will we divide and conquer…?” Proactive communication enables co-teaching teams to implement cohesive practices while in the classroom with students. 

Then, co-teachers can engage in reflective conversations about their shared classroom.  Reflective questioning could include: “What were your impressions of our lesson today?” or “How comfortable were you…?” Co-reflecting enables teams to refine their practices.  Reflection, time, and follow-through will increase mutual trust and respect among co-teachers.

Marital Reminders

Every co-teaching relationship is unique.  No co-teaching relationship is perfect.  However, all co-teaching relationships can grow to be better.  As co-teaching relationships strengthen, teams will accomplish milestones and anniversaries.  Strong co-teaching marriages equate to strong co-teaching practices that benefit all students.

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About Meghan Pahlke

Meghan Pahlke is a 7th Grade Resource Special Education Teacher at Plano Middle School. Throughout her career, she has had the honor to work alongside eight phenomenal co-teacher teammates in math and language arts classes. Co-teaching is her passion, and she is dedicated to supporting teams to co-teach with parity. When she’s not teaching or talking co-teaching shop, she enjoys spending time with her husband and Goldendoodle, Murphy.