Co-Teaching:

An Inclusive ModelHeather Lane and Sara Staub

South Western School DistrictJune 18, 2012

Agenda Teacher Introduction Essential Questions Activator: What Co-Teaching Is and Is Not… Teaching:

4 Types of Co-Teaching Jigsaw Activity and Discussion/Self-Reflection Collaborative Culture leads to a Cooperative Process

Summarizer: Advantages and What Co-Teaching Is and Is Not…

It all started here…

Essential Questions

What is Co-Teaching? How can we use co-teaching to

effectively increase student achievementin all subject areas within the inclusive classroom?

Co-Teaching: An Inclusive Model

Activator white worksheet What Co-Teaching Is and Is Not T-Chart

Complete Top Half

Sharing

What is co-teaching? green paper Co-Teaching is…

Two or more people sharing responsibility for teaching some or all of the students assigned to one classroom.

A fun way for students to learn from two or more people who have different ways of thinking or teaching.

A creative way to support and connect with others and to help all children learn.

A way to make schools more effective. Like a marriage because it’s not always 50/50, it takes

time to develop a relationship, there will be differences, and you may need a marriage counselor (consultant) from time to time.

Why do we co-teach?Two federal laws govern education of children with disabilities. Neither requires inclusion, but both require that a significant effort be made to find an inclusive placement. IDEA – The law requires that children with disabilities

be educated “to the maximum extent appropriate” in the “least restrictive environment.” LRE is the regular education classroom.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973- Section 504 requires that a recipient of federal funds provide for the education of each qualified handicapped person in its jurisdiction with persons who are not handicapped to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the handicapped person.

http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm

Models for Co-Teaching

Supportive Parallel Complementary Team

Can move in and out of the various models for any lessons and subject.

As the co-teaching skills and relationships strengthen, co-teachers

move into complementary and team-teaching models more often.

Jigsaw Activity yellow worksheet Move to Home Group according to your folder color Once in Home Group, refer to letter on your folder (A, B, C, D) to

determine your Expert Group Move to Expert Group to complete your part of the Co-Teaching

Chart A - Supportive B - Parallel C - Complementary D - Team

Move back to Home Group to share and complete remaining parts of the Co-Teaching Chart

Whole group discussion (cream paper)

Supportive Co-teaching Model One teacher assigned primary responsibility

for designing/delivering a lesson. Other member provides support to some or all the students in the class.

One teacher leads, the other supports. “Sage on the stage, guide on the side”.

Parallel Co-teaching

The teachers divide the class into groups and teach them simultaneously (same or different information).

The student to teacher ratio is low. More time is devoted to learning versus students

waiting for help. Opportunities for re-teaching are immediate. Support for the teacher is present. Communication is constant. Behavior problems can be minimized.

Parallel Teaching Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyxLvaScI0Q

Thoughts, comments, discussion?

Examples of Parallel Co-teaching structures Split class (writing) Station Teaching/Learning Centers (Math

Workshop) Co-teachers rotate, rather than the students Cooperative Group Monitoring Supplementary Instruction (morning math) Guided Reading Instruction

Complementary Co-teaching

When co-teacher does something to enhance the instruction provided by the other co-teacher

Both teachers share in the delivery of the information

Complementary Co-Teaching examples One teacher verbally gives directions, the other

writes the directions on the board One teacher might paraphrase the other co-

teacher’s statements One teacher teaches the lesson, the co-teacher

demonstrates how to take notes on key points Inclusive Math Lesson

Team Teaching Co-Teaching

When two or more people do what the traditional teacher used to do.

Both share responsibility for planning, teaching and assessing progress of students in the class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYQZJjGlt8A

If one is doing this…The other can be… pink paper Refer to t-chart outlining examples of all

models of co-teaching

Co-Teaching, when done right…

Co-teaching is a fluid process and classroom teaching configurations should change and be responsive to curricular and students’ needs.

Contains 5 elements: face-to-face interaction, positive interdependence, interpersonal skills, monitoring, and accountability

http://www.vcld.org/pages/newsletters/00_01_spring/coll_teach.htm

Cooperative Process – 5 elements Must have a collaborative culture before establishing a

cooperative process

Face-to-Face Interactions Co-teachers decide when and how often they will meet and develop a system for

communicating information when formal meetings are not scheduled. Positive InterdependenceCo-teachers create the feeling that they are equally responsible for the learning of all students to whom they are now assigned. Interpersonal Skills

Include the verbal and non-verbal components of trust, trust building, conflict management, and creative problem-solving. Monitoring Co-Teaching Progress

Frequently debriefing about the successes and challenges of co-teaching lessons. Individual AccountabilityThis is a form of acknowledging the importance of actions from each co-teacher.

Advantages to Co-Teaching blue worksheet

Advantages to the General Educator

Advantages for the Special Educator

Advantages for ALL Students

http://www.vcld.org/pages/newsletters/00_01_spring/advant.htm

For General Education Teachers: Open communication lines early Realize many co-teachers feel just as uncomfortable as you with the situation--they might even

feel as if they are invading your classroom Don't assume the co-teacher wants to take over. Don't assume the co-teacher is judging you. Share your beliefs and expectations with the co-teacher so that they know where you're coming

from. Ask what the co-teacher's expectations are for you.

For Co-Teachers: Open communication lines early Realize that the general education teacher feels ownership of their class--put them at ease by

telling them you are not planning to take over. Share your educational beliefs and expectations. Ask what the general education teacher expects of you. Make sure to explain any absences you might have from the classroom while on campus. Discuss all student modifications with the general education teacher--get them to have a stake

in the modification. Do not change the grading scale, etc. without first discussing this with the general education

teacher.

For Both Teachers: Realize you’re both educational colleagues--in the same boat Be professional. Learn to get along. Remember…You are there for the students!

http://712educators.about.com/cs/specialeducation/a/coteaching.htm

Summarizer white worksheet

Complete bottom portion of What Co-Teaching Is and Is Not… T-chart

Questions? Contact Information:

Heather Lane – Heather_Lane@swsd.k12.pa.us Sara Staub – Sara_Staub@swsd.k12.pa.us

Citations

Karen Cataldo and Eric Klansek, South Western School District teachers

Villa, Richard A., Jacqueline S. Thousand, and Ann Nevin. A Guide to Co-teaching: Practical Tips for Facilitating Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2008. Print.

http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm http://www.vcld.org/pages/newsletters/00_01_spring/advant.htm