CoTeaching 101: A Beginning

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Co-Teaching 101A Beginning

• Presented by
• Janice Putman and
• Maureen Rauscher
• Improvement Consultants

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Participants should be able to

• Define co-teaching and distinguish it from other
  concepts related to inclusive practices
• Explain the rationale for co-teaching, the
  benefits and pitfalls

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Participants should be able to

• Discuss how collaboration enhances co-teaching
  and outline strategies for developing a
  collaborative co-teaching relationship
• Clarify the personal, pedagogical and
  discipline-specific qualities and skills that
  co-teachers need to possess

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Participants should be able to

• Apply six approaches for co-teaching to classroom
  practice and outline issues that co-teachers
  should periodically discuss to monitor and
  enhance their practice.
• Know how to evaluate and improve their
  co-teaching practices.

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Research-Based Practice

• Material presented today will be based on
  research by
• Co-teaching Marilyn Friend
• Change Margaret Wheatley
• Interpersonal Styles Anita DeBoer
• Co-planning Lisa A. Dieker

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What is co-teaching?

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Defining Co-Teaching

• Co-teaching occurs when two or more
  professionals jointly deliver substantive
  instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of
  students in a single physical space.
• Cook and Friend, 1995

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What is co-teaching?

• Co-teaching is first and foremost an approach
  for meeting the educational needs of students
  with diverse learning abilities.
• Cook Friend, 1995

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What is co-teaching?

• Co-teaching is a service delivery option for
  providing special education or related services
  to students with disabilities or other special
  needs while they remain in their general
  education classes.
• Friend Cook
• 
  2007

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What is co-teaching?

• Co-teaching occurs when two or more teachers,
  one general educator and the other a special
  service provider (e.g. special education, related
  services, ELL, reading) share physical space in
  order to actively instruct a blended group of
  students, including students with disabilities.

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Whats the difference?

• Co-teaching
• Class-within-a-class
• Collaboration
• Paraprofessional Assigned to Class

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Co-teaching Vs. Other Delivery Options

• Who plans the lessons?
• Who provides the instruction to all students?
• Do both teachers interact with all parents, or
  are students divided into groups (yours and
  mine)?
• Who determines grades for all students?
• Who makes adaptations and does
  follow up?

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Co-teaching is a service delivery system, in
which

• Two (or more) professionally credentialed staff
• Share instructional responsibility
• For a single group of students
• Primarily in a single classroom or workspace

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Co-teaching Definition (continued)

• To teach required curriculum
• With mutual ownership, pooled resources, and
  joint accountability
• Although each individuals level of participation
  may vary.
• Marilyn Friend (2007)

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Co-teaching is not

• An extra set of hands in the classroom
• The general education teacher providing
  instruction as if she or he was teaching alone
  while the special educator roams
• Two individuals taking turns teaching

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Co-teaching is not

• An individual pulling a small group of students
  aside to deliver instruction completely separate
  from that being provided to the rest of the
  class.
• Shoring up incompetent staff.

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Co-teaching will not resolve issues of
incompetent staff
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Why co-teach?

• Teachers with different specialties, e.g. general
  and special education, can better meet the needs
  of a diverse population of students.
• Co-teaching should result in direct
  instructional and social benefits for students
  who have IEPs.
• Friend and Cook, 2007

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Why co-teach?

• Special educators have developed a tendency to
  own students on IEPs which decreases
  participation of general ed teachers in
  collaborative problem solving
• General educators have more ownership when they
  have background knowledge and a chance to
  participate in the decisions

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Pros of Co-Teaching

• All children learn from each other
• Typical children become more accepting of
  individual differences
• Improved self-esteem for special needs students
• All students exposed to a variety of teaching
  styles and strategies
• Students have role models

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Pros of Co-Teaching

• Provides for highly qualified teachers in the
  least restrictive environment
• Provides a strategies expert for ALL students
  who are having difficulty
• Students become active learners through frequent
  interaction and feedback.

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Student Benefits of Co-Teaching

• Cohesive programming occurs when connections are
  made between students individual needs and the
  regular classroom curriculum.
• Individualization of instruction increases.

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Student Benefits of Co-Teaching

• Research indicates that special education
  students score higher on achievement tests when
  they are exposed to content knowledge in a
  regular education classroom.

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Why co-teaching? Why now?

• IDEA and NCLB requirements
• Gives students access to highly qualified
  subject- matter teachers (HQT)
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Access to general education curriculum
• Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

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Why co-teaching? Why now?

• Wider range of instructional alternatives for all
  students
• Reduces fragmentation of learning
• Enhances the participation of students with
  special needs as full classroom members

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Why co-teaching? Why now?

• Creates conditions in which students with
  disabilities and other groups can make AYP
• Provides powerful support for
  the professionals who teach
• Reduces stigma for students

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Its not about us (the educators) its about
them (the students).
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Think of special education as a service, not a
place.
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Inclusive Schools. . .

• Dont ask, How does this student have to change
  in order to be in this class? But rather, How
  do we have to change in order to offer full
  membership to our students with disabilities?

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How can co-teaching help meet students needs?
Can any one teacher meet the educational, social
and physical needs of all students?
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Benefits of Co-Teaching

• Shared responsibility for educating all students
• Shared understanding and use of common assessment
  data
• Shared ownership for programming and interventions

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Benefits of Co-Teaching

• Creating common understanding
• Teachers learn from each other
• Collegial relationships are created along with
  professional development

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Benefits of Co-Teaching

• Resources are shared
• Management strategies are more consistent with
  frequent feedback
• Individualization of instruction is fostered with
  multiple views of the students

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Challenges

• Must provide team planning time
• High ratios of students-teachers
• Peoples perceptions and expectations
• Speed of curriculum
• Behavior
• Scheduling issues

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Building Bridges

• Walking across the bridge, leaving the
  familiar ground of working alone, is the first
  act of collaboration. All parties are on neutral
  territory, with the security of knowing they can
  return to land better, stronger and changed. And
  perhaps they will return to the same side of the
  bridge even though they started from opposite
  sides.

Steele, Bell, George, 2005
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Points to Ponder

• What has been your experience with co-teaching?
• What role is co-teaching playing in your schools
  efforts to address the requirements of NCLB and
  IDEA?
• When you think about co-teaching, what are the
  concerns or questions you have?

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Examples of Co-Teaching
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Co teaching Approaches

• One Teach, One Observe
• Station Teaching
• Parallel Teaching
• Alternative Teaching
• Team Teaching
• One Teach, One Assist

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Take a look at co-teaching
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One Teach, One Observe

• One teacher teaches and the other systematically
  collects data on a student, group of students or
  entire class on behaviors the professionals have
  previously agreed upon.

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One Teach

One Observe
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One Teach, One Observe

• Benefits
• Opportunity for observation of students and data
  collection
• Jointly decided specifics to observe and analyze
  in advance
• Both professionals should discuss the results of
  the observations
• Deepen understanding of each others teaching
  styles
• Requires little joint planning

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One Teach, One Observe

• Drawbacks, if used to excess
• Special service provider is relegated to the role
  of assistant
• Students do not see teachers as having equivalent
  responsibility and authority
• Recommended Use
• Periodic (5-10)

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Station Teaching

• Students in groups of three or more rotate to
  various teacher-led and independent work stations
  where new instruction, review, and/or practice is
  provided. Students may work at all stations
  during the rotation

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Teacher 2
Group 2
Teacher 1

• Computer center
• Silent reading
• Project table
• Assessment table

Group 1
Group 3
Students move rotating to each group
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Station Teaching

• Benefits
• Involves both educators in instruction
• Enables a clear division of labor for planning
  and teaching
• Allows for different teaching styles
• Students benefit from a lower teacher-pupil ratio
• Students with disabilities are integrated into
  groups, rather than singled out

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Station Teaching

• Drawbacks
• Noise and movement within the classroom
• Teachers or students may be distracted by two
  teachers talking in the classroom at the same
  time.
• Teachers need to think about how to divide
  instruction. Hierarchical material cannot be
  presented using this approach.
• Lessons must be timed so groups can move as
  scheduled.
• Recommended Use Frequent (30-40)

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Parallel Teaching

• Students are divided into two heterogeneous
  groups. Each partner teaches a group essentially
  the same material.

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Teacher 1
Both teachers teach the same content in the same
room simultaneously
Teacher 2
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Parallel Teaching

• Benefits
• Lowers the teacher-student ratio, while insuring
  diversity in each group
• Is good for review, drill-and-practice
  activities, topics needing student discussion, or
  projects needing close teacher supervision.

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Parallel Teaching

• Drawbacks
• Cannot be used for initial instruction unless
  both educators are qualified to teach the
  material (primarily at the high school level)
• Noise and activity levels need to be monitored
• Teachers need to pace instruction similarly
• Requires that both teachers are familiar with
  content and how to teach it
• Recommended Use
• Frequent (30-40)

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Alternative Teaching

• One teacher works with a small group of students,
  while the other instructs the large group in some
  content or activity that the small group can
  afford to miss.

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Teacher 2
Whole group
Pre-teaching Reviewing Enrichment Special
interest
Small group
Teacher 1
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Alternative Teaching

• Benefits
• Provides highly intensive instruction
• Ensures that all students get to interact with a
  teacher in a small group
• May assist with reducing behavior problems with
  some students

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Alternative Teaching

• Drawbacks
• Students with disabilities may be stigmatized by
  being grouped repeatedly for preteaching or
  re-teaching
• Each teacher must take turns working with the
  small group or may be viewed as an assistant
• The same students must not repeatedly selected
  for the small group. Documentation must be kept
  so all students may participate
• Recommended Use
• Occasional (20-30)

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Team Teaching

• Partners plan and share instruction of all
  students, whether it occurs in a large group, in
  monitoring students working independently, or in
  facilitating groups of students working on shared
  projects.
• Marilyn Friend

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Teaming

• Benefits
• Shared planning and instruction by both teachers
  for the large group
• Allows teachers to play off one another
• Can be energizing and entertaining

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Teaming

• Drawbacks
• Loss of the valuable instructional technique of
  grouping
• May not be comfortable for new partnerships of
  teachers.
• Recommended Use
• Occasional (20-30)

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One Teach, One Assist

• One teaches while the other supports the
  instructional process by assisting students who
  need redirection or who have questions.

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Teacher 1
Teacher 2
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One Teach, One Assist

• Benefits
• Allows for individual and classroom support
  during a lesson
• Allows for more effective and efficient
  instruction while one can check student responses
  and carry out management tasks such as
  distributing materials

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One Teach, One Assist

• Drawbacks
• Has the greatest potential to be over-used and
  abused, with little benefit to the students over
  a traditional, one-teacher classroom
• May distract students from attending to the
  teacher during instruction
• Recommended Use
• Seldom (lt20, lt10 is better)

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Concerns to Expect

• Special ed teacher is intimidated by the content
  and protective of students with IEPs
• Content teacher is intimidated by wider range of
  students needs or over turf issues

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Concerns to Expect

• Philosophical differences between teachers
• Lack of enough planning time
• Questions from parents

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Sources of Failure

• Failing to distinguish clearly among the roles of
  the various adults who might be in the
  classroom---teachers, related service providers,
  paraprofessionals, student teachers, volunteers.
• Basing co-teaching on the preferences of the
  staff rather than on clear standards,
  expectations and the needs of the students.

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Sources of Failure

• Teachers lack personal prerequisites, e.g.
  ability to give up control.
• Teachers lack pedagogical prerequisites, e.g.
  failure to understand the educational process and
  culture.
• Teachers lack professional prerequisites, e.g.
  expertise in their discipline.

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Sources of Failure

• Teachers lack a collaborative relationship
• There are no specific plans for accomplishing
  their goals.
• Lack of planning/designing instruction
• Failure to implement instruction and co-teaching
  with fidelity

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Selecting A Co-Teaching Approach

• Student characteristics and needs
• Teacher characteristics and needs
• Curriculum, including content and instructional
  strategies
• Pragmatic considerations

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Co-teaching Models

• Which of the 6 co-teaching models do you see
  yourself using within the next month?
• What lesson(s) would be most effective for
  utilizing the selected co-teaching model?
• What needs to happen prior to using this model
  with students?
• How are you going to evaluate the effectiveness
  of the lesson and model?

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Periods of Change Are Not Easy. . .

• Requires commitment to alter practice
• No change is completely orderly
• Requires a period of chaos from which the new
  practices evolve
• Strive for planned change
• Margaret Wheatley
• Leadership and the New Science

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We cant do what weve always done and expect
better results.

• To improve, you must change what you are
  currently doing.
• Get rid of some old habits
• Learn some new strategies
• To have all students LEARN, we must change what
  we do in education.

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Change is about RESULTS

• Webster defines results as a measurable
  success

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If you want different results

• Start with the END GOAL
• What do you want the end results to be?
• Ask, What steps are needed to reach our goal?

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To get different results

• Must have a shift in thinking
• Must do something different
• Results are about CHANGE
• Definition of Insanity
• Doing what youve always done and expecting
  different results.
• Albert Einstein

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Fundamental change is. . .

• Giving up some of the past which results in a
  new way of doing our worka change in
  performance.
• If you continue to think the way youve always
  thought, youll continue to get what youve
  always gotten.
• Unknown

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Changes with co-teaching

• As you embark on co-teaching, what changes do you
  anticipate that you will need to make?
• What are your personal concerns?
• What steps can you take to be proactive in
  resolving these concerns with your co-teacher(s)?

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What makes a successful team?

• Individual Prerequisites
• Can work effectively with another
  adult
• Sense of humor
• Willingness to set aside differences
• Set of common knowledge and skills
• Discipline-specific knowledge and
  skills

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What makes a successful team?

• Shared philosophy/core beliefs
• The professional relationship is based on
• Parity
• Communication
• Respect
• Trust

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What makes a successful team?

• Co-teachers make a commitment to building and
  maintaining their professional relationship.

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What are some of your beliefs?

• Compare ideas about management strategies. How
  are you alike and how are you different?
• Consider items such as
• Noise level
• Movement in the classroom
• Use of whiteboards and other resources
• Compare ideas on
• Assignments
• Homework
• Teaching methods
• Teaching strategies etc.
• Grading

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Common beliefs

• Consider factors which will influence the
  co-teaching experience. Which beliefs would
  enhance or impede the co-teaching process?
• If you and your partner differ, how are you going
  to work together to make co-teaching work?

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Co-teachers thought the following were critical

• Teachers should have a voice in choosing their
  teaching partners
• Teachers ability to get along was a critical
  factor in co-teaching success.
• Keefe, Moore Duff Study (2004)

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Effective Co-Planning
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Planning for Instruction

• Teachers need shared planning time, macro and
  on-going.
• Always have an agenda for shared planning
  meetings.
• Realize there will never be enough time.

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Planning for Instruction

• This is where the alignment of special, ELL and
  general education occurs
• Make this time as focused as possible
• Take turns taking the lead in planning and
  facilitating

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Provide Weekly Scheduled Co- Planning Time

• Co-Teaching teams should have a minimum of one
  scheduling/planning period (45 60 min/week).
• Experienced teams should spend 10 minutes to plan
  each lesson.

Dieker,2001Walther-Thomas,Bryant, Land 1996
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Weekly Co-Planning

• Effective weekly co-planning is based on
  regularly scheduled meetings, rather than
  fitting it in.
• Important to stay focused
• Review content in advance of meeting

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Weekly Co-Planning

• Guide the session with the following fundamental
  issues
• What are the content goals?
• Who are the learners?
• How can we teach most effectively?

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Agenda for Planning Meetings

• The general education teacher should prepare a
  brief overview of curricular concepts to be
  addressed.
• The co-teachers should decide how they will
  address the content using co-teaching
  approaches.

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Agenda for Planning Meetings

• Teachers should determine the challenges for
  students and brainstorm ideas for differentiating
  instruction.
• The last topic on the agenda concerns individual
  students.
• Friend and Cook, 2007

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Make a Plan

• Draw 4 columns on your paper. Label each as
  follows
• What do we need to do?
• Who will do it?
• By when will it be done?
• Whats the product or outcome?
• With your co-teacher, begin the planning process.

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Considerations

• Eliminate or change titles, e.g. both are
  teachers or use neutral language such as
  generalist and interventionist
• Eliminate divisive language, e.g. your kids, my
  kids or my room
• Get both teachers names on the report cards,
  letters home and other correspondence
• Vary who gives instructions or takes the lead
• Be aware of seating and grouping arrangements

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Definition of Collaboration

• Collaboration is a style for interaction between
  equal parties voluntarily engaged in shared
  decision making as they work toward a common goal.

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Collaboration means. . .

• Two equal participants who labor together
• Col labor ation

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Be a collaborator. . .

• Believe in the benefits of co-teaching
• Work together as a team
• Use each others strengths

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Defining Characteristics

• Mutual trust
• Mutual respect
• Establishment of a sense of community
• Contributions are equally valued
• Equal power in decision making
• Shared responsibility, accountability, and
  resources

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What Song Defines Your Co-Teaching Relationship?
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Whats your next step?
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Resources

• www.csd.org
• www.marilynfriend.com
• www.powerof2.org
• http//dese.mo.gov/divspeced/EffectivePractices/we
  b_based.htm

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A thought in closing. . .

• Quality is never an accident it is always the
  result of high intention, sincere effort,
  intelligent direction and skillful execution it
  represents the wise choice of many alternatives.
• New York Times Ad, 1939

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Evaluation of Workshop
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