A Guide to Co-TeachingA Guide to Co-Teaching

Practical Tips for Facilitating Practical Tips for Facilitating Student LearningStudent Learning

Richard A Villa Jacqueling S. Thousand Ann I. NevinRichard A Villa Jacqueling S. Thousand Ann I. Nevin

What is Co-TeachingWhat is Co-Teaching

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

It involves the distribution of responsibility It involves the distribution of responsibility among people for planning, instruction, and among people for planning, instruction, and evaluation for a classroom of students.evaluation for a classroom of students.

What Co-teaching is not.What Co-teaching is not. It is not one person teaching one subject followed by It is not one person teaching one subject followed by

another who teaches a different subject.another who teaches a different subject. It is not one person teaching one subject while another It is not one person teaching one subject while another

person prepares instructional materials at the Xerox person prepares instructional materials at the Xerox machine or corrects papers in the teacher’s lounge.machine or corrects papers in the teacher’s lounge.

It is not occurring when one teacher conducts a lesson and It is not occurring when one teacher conducts a lesson and others stand or sit by and watch.others stand or sit by and watch.

It is not happening when the ideas of one person prevail for It is not happening when the ideas of one person prevail for what is to be taught or how it will be taught.what is to be taught or how it will be taught.

Finally, co-teaching is not simply the assignment of Finally, co-teaching is not simply the assignment of someone to act as a tutor.someone to act as a tutor.

The Elements of Co-TeachingThe Elements of Co-Teaching

Two or more people who coordinate their Two or more people who coordinate their work to achieve at least one work to achieve at least one common, common, publicly agreed on goal.publicly agreed on goal.

Two or more people who share a Two or more people who share a belief belief systemsystem that each of the co-teaching that each of the co-teaching members has unique and needed expertise.members has unique and needed expertise.

Demonstrate Demonstrate parityparity by alternatively engaging in by alternatively engaging in the dual roles of teacher and learner, expert and the dual roles of teacher and learner, expert and novice, giver and recipient of knowledge or skills.novice, giver and recipient of knowledge or skills.

Use a Use a distributed functionsdistributed functions theorytheory of leadership of leadership in which the task and relationship functions of the in which the task and relationship functions of the traditional lone teacher are distributed among all traditional lone teacher are distributed among all co-teaching group members.co-teaching group members.

Use a Use a cooperative processcooperative process that that includes face-to-face interaction, positive includes face-to-face interaction, positive interdependence, performance, as well as interdependence, performance, as well as monitoring and processing of interpersonal monitoring and processing of interpersonal skills, and individual accountability.skills, and individual accountability.

Cooperative ProcessCooperative Process

Face to face interactionsFace to face interactions Positive InterdependencePositive Interdependence Interpersonal skillsInterpersonal skills Monitoring Co-Teacher ProgressMonitoring Co-Teacher Progress Individual AccountabilityIndividual Accountability

What Does Co-Teaching Look Like?What Does Co-Teaching Look Like?Four ApproachesFour Approaches

Supportive TeachingSupportive TeachingParallel TeachingParallel TeachingComplementary TeachingComplementary TeachingTeam Teaching.Team Teaching.

Supportive TeachingSupportive Teaching

When one teacher takes the lead When one teacher takes the lead instructional role and the other(s) rotates instructional role and the other(s) rotates among the students to provide support.among the students to provide support.

The co-teacher taking the supportive role The co-teacher taking the supportive role watches or listens while students work, watches or listens while students work, stepping in to provide one-to-one tutorial stepping in to provide one-to-one tutorial assistance when necessary.assistance when necessary.

Parallel TeachingParallel Teaching

When two or more people work with When two or more people work with different groups of students in different different groups of students in different sections of the classroom.sections of the classroom.

Co-teachers may rotate among the groups.Co-teachers may rotate among the groups.

Complementary TeachingComplementary Teaching

When co-teachers do something to enhance When co-teachers do something to enhance the instruction provided by the other co-the instruction provided by the other co-teachers.teachers.

For example one co-teacher might For example one co-teacher might paraphrase the others statement or model paraphrase the others statement or model note-taking skills on a transparency.note-taking skills on a transparency.

Team TeachingTeam Teaching

When two or more people do what the When two or more people do what the traditional teacher has always done—plan, traditional teacher has always done—plan, teach, assess, and assume responsibility for teach, assess, and assume responsibility for all the students in the classroom.all the students in the classroom.

They share the leadership and They share the leadership and responsibilities.responsibilities.

The key to successful team teaching is that The key to successful team teaching is that co-teachers simultaneously deliver the co-teachers simultaneously deliver the lesson.lesson.

A successful team-teaching partnership is A successful team-teaching partnership is that the students view each teacher as that the students view each teacher as knowledgeable and credible.knowledgeable and credible.

Planning For Starting Out As Co-Planning For Starting Out As Co-TeachersTeachers

You need to clear what your rationale and You need to clear what your rationale and objectives are for co-teaching so that you can objectives are for co-teaching so that you can communicate the rationale and objectives to your communicate the rationale and objectives to your partners.partners.

Decide on global issues regarding how you will get Decide on global issues regarding how you will get to know the learning characteristics of the to know the learning characteristics of the students, what content you will teach, instructional students, what content you will teach, instructional procedures and the ways in which you will assess procedures and the ways in which you will assess learning.learning.

Finding and Creating Time For Finding and Creating Time For PlanningPlanning

Borrowed time. Borrowed time. Common TimeCommon Time Tiered TimeTiered Time Rescheduled TimeRescheduled Time Released TimeReleased Time Freed-Up TimeFreed-Up Time Purchased TimePurchased Time Found TimeFound Time New TimeNew Time

Tips For Getting Along With Your Tips For Getting Along With Your Co – teachersCo – teachers

Keep Communication AliveKeep Communication Alive

Understand the developmental nature of co-Understand the developmental nature of co-teaching relationships.teaching relationships.

Manage Conflict.Manage Conflict.

Making it WorkMaking it Work

Dare to have fun.Dare to have fun.

Meet all students Meet all students needs.needs.

Learn something new Learn something new everyday.everyday.