TL;DR: Despite 28 years of teaching, the author had never experienced co-teaching until recently. Initial attempts at collaboration failed due to lack of planning and organization. A recent partnership with a special education assistant has led to positive changes in the classroom. The Missed Opportunity of Co-Teaching What if I told you that in my twenty-eight years of experience as … Read More
Building Strong Co-Teacher Relationships
TL;DR: A meeting at Starbucks led to a successful two-year co-teaching partnership. Building a strong co-teaching relationship involves getting to know each other, honest communication, and respecting boundaries. Key tips include spending time together, maintaining open communication, setting boundaries, enjoying laughter, and reflecting on practice. We decided to meet at Starbucks on that warm summer day. We were still unsure … Read More
Best Practices of Successful Co-Teaching
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 … Read More
Co-Teach Better: Comrade In Arms
TL;DR: The end of the school year can be chaotic, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to foster camaraderie in co-teaching relationships. Co-teachers should find authentic ways to showcase their unique personalities as a team, whether through matching outfits or shared actions based on common interests. Strategies for building camaraderie include leveraging commonalities for positive shared actions, demonstrating positive interactions … Read More
Co-Teaching Is Tough
TL;DR: A strong co-teaching relationship involves both teachers using their expertise to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess as equals. Make sure to consistently reflect on your co-teaching relationships and practices. Give both your co-teacher and yourself grace. Co-teaching is tough, whether you have been co-teaching for one semester, one year, or years. Yes, the cliche sayings that a co-teaching relationship is … Read More