co-teaching the co-reqfinalkh
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Co-Teaching the Co-Req
Stories, Successes & Strategies
Kimberly Hilton & Danielle Marshall
INADE & NADE 2015
Who are we? Kimberly Hilton Associate Professor with
15 years of experience B.A. English M.S. Adult Education and
M.A. English (May 2015) Teaching Writing and
Teaching Literature Certificates
Danielle Marshall Adjunct Instructor with
two years of experience B.S. Psychology and
B.A. English M.A. English Teaching Writing
Certificate
We taught together at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, IN
during Fall 2013 and Spring 2014
Origins of Co-Teaching Chapman and Hyatt define this
practice: “Co-teaching is an effective, evidence-based instructional strategy in which two or more caring professionals share responsibility for a group of students and work collaboratively to add instructional value to enhance their efforts.”
Typically co-teaching is found in elementary/middle/high schools and in special education classrooms.
(Chapman & Hyatt 2011)
Co-Teaching the Co-What??
A co-requisite enrolls students into a developmental class along with the corresponding college level class
At Ivy Tech, students take English 093 along with English 111, optimally with one instructor
Our initiative is based on the Accelerated Learning Project (ALP) from the Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland
According to the ALP website, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Colorado, and West Virginia have adopted the model statewide
Ivy Tech’s Version of ALP
English 093 is limited to 10 developmental students in a computer lab classroom
Those students join 10 English 111 students to make up the college class
Assignments in 093 are designed to support the essays in English 111 (Backward design)
In 093 time and attention is given to non-academic/affective issues such as student work status, parenting, and finances
How it Works
• Enrolls in 093
• Companion 111
Student
places below English 111
• Half the class tested into English 111
Attends class with same
teacher
• Satisfies 093 prereq
• Receives credit for English 111
Student
passes English 111
Why teach CoReqs?
To increase retention To increase graduation rates 093 supports the
assignments in 111 Students see 093 in a
positive light instead of a negative/punishment
Mandated statewide for Ivy Tech
Indiana Mandates Co-ReqsFormer Governor Mitch Daniels won a
$1 million grant in 2011 “Smarter Choices, Faster Completion”
Redesign the delivery of remedial coursework at Ivy Tech
For reading, writing and math at Ivy Tech =
Co-requisite component that places students into college level courses with supplemental support (ALP model chosen)
(Indiana Commission for Higher Education 2013)
Why Co-Teaching? Ivy Tech
Increased co-reqs to 75% of all composition courses offered
One teacher for 093
Same books for both classes
Students receive a grade in each course
Shortage of credentialed teachers for both levels
One teacher for 111
Same 111 syllabus as non co-reqs
Students must earn at least a D in 111 and a C in 093
Our Co-Teaching Experience
Since Danielle had recently graduated and had no teaching experience, we decided to create our own mentoring strategy
During fall semester, Kim taught English 111 Composition and Danielle taught 093 Developmental Writing
In spring, Danielle taught 111 and Kim taught a pilot of 095 (Integrated Reading/Writing)
In both scenarios we planned the courses together in person, and communicated regularly via email and text
Relevant Research We could not find any specific research
on co-teaching a co-requisite class We searched for best practices for co-
teachers in other settings; for example, middle school/high school teachers
There are guidelines for new co-teachers in other settings that can be applied to the co-req teaching partnerships
Allessandra’s Platinum Rule and Eisen & Tisdell’s Relationship Styles
Survey of Ivy Tech Indianapolis Co-Teachers Fall 2014
The Platinum Rule Allesandra’s “The Platinum Rule”
offers four possible styles of co-teachers:
1. Directors 2. Socializers 3. Relaters 4. Thinkers All teachers can exhibit aspects of
more than one style, but one will be predominant (2014)
Platinum Rule StylesPositives Negatives Needs
Director Task-oriented, work quickly and alone
Dominating, stubborn and impatient
To control and achieve
Socializer
Enthusiasm, persuasiveness and ideas
Short attention span, aversion to working alone
To be with others and in the action
Thinker Detail-oriented, persistent problem solvers
Over-critical, perfectionists
Proof, caution in making decisions
Relater People-oriented, good listeners, loyal employees
Risk-aversive, prefer status quo
Consistency, agreement
Adapting to the Styles With Directors, be efficient and
competent. Be organized and get to the point
With Socializers, be interested in them. They are people-oriented, so give them time to socialize
With Thinkers, be well-prepared, detail-oriented, business-like, and patient. They need details, so give them data
With Relaters, be non-threatening and sincere. Talk in terms of feelings, not facts. Take things slow, earn their trust, support their feelings, and show sincere interest (Allesandra
2014)
Using the Platinum Rule Know yourself &
your primary style
Identify your what your needs are
Kim-Director 1st and Socializer 2nd
Get to know your Co-Teacher’s style
Ask your partner what he/she needs
Danielle—Socializer 1st and Director 2nd
Types of Relationships
Committed Marriage: Team members select
each other voluntarily &
commit to working closely over time.
Extended Family: Individual teachers
exchange ideas, observe each other
& commiserate.
Cohabitant: Each teacher does own
thing with own class; classes share guest speakers or
watch videos together.
Blind Date: Strangers are
matched by a 3rd party
(administrator). This could lead to a committed marriage
OR a one-night stand!
Joint Custody: Two instructors share one section, teach alternating classes or share sessions,
use blended presentations.
The Village (Non-Traditional Family):
The team is composed of learners and
teachers who seek to foster a broad-
based learning community.
(Eisen & Tisdell 2000)
The Survey We asked full and part-time faculty about
their co-teaching experiences at Ivy Tech A survey was presented via Survey Monkey
and all responses were anonymous Number of respondents was 16 While 37% reported having 2 to 5 years
experience teaching at Ivy Tech, 25% were first year teachers
Only 25% had over 10 years of experience Seventy-five percent of respondents had no
previous experience co-teaching, while 19% said they had previous experience at the college level
Only 6% had previous experience at the K-12 level
How Did They Communicate?
In Person
Blackboard IM
Texting
Phone
Attending class
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
14
15
0
2
5
2
Method of Communication
Instructor Comments on Challenges
My first challenge was not understanding what I was supposed to teach the 093 students
My co-teacher was a brand new adjunct so she had to learn all the ins and outs of the College, Blackboard, the courses and the Co-Req all at once
Scheduling convenient times to communicate face-to-face and/or via phone was challenging
I was partnered with someone who was not engaged in the class and ended up leaving mid-semester. This caused real issues since I didn’t know what was happening in 111 other than what the students told me after I took over her class
Benefits of Co-Teaching The students liked having two different
perspectives. It helped them see their work in a different light
Working together, we could re-emphasize core concepts and reinforce each other’s messages
Students liked having another teacher to ask questions, especially if they find one teacher less approachable
I learned new techniques and ideas from my co-teacher
In sharing information, we were both able to get to know the students much better
Suggestions from the Co-Teachers
Get together with your partner early and often; trade notes about student work and share perspectives
Meet prior to the course beginning to plan
Sit in on each other’s classes now and then. I think having an experienced teacher paired with a less experienced one is definitely helpful as a mentoring aspect
If you are the 093/095 instructor, be willing to make changes to help reinforce the 111 learning
Working together with personal contact makes all the difference in maximizing the benefits of the Co-Req experience for students and for teachers
The stipend helps, but it really isn’t enough when you factor in all the work that is done
Place more emphasis on professional development for co-teachers. The co-teaching relationship is overlooked because there is so much focus on the classes themselves
Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Let’s Hear from the Students! The (co-req) helped me
tremendously, not to mention I had two great English instructors that helped me through my semester. I was never lost or confused.
I was able to ask questions without feeling dumb or a bother to the instructors. I also enjoyed having two teachers because it made me separate the two courses from each other
I would recommend that advisors and counselors be more aware of the classes and how they work
The best thing about taking 093/111 is the fact that you get them both done in one semester and get credit for both
The two teachers worked well together and they were both helpful whether it was 093 or 111. The work we did in the 093 class helped with the papers we wrote
It would be better if both classes were scheduled in one room so we don’t have to move.
The 093 part was too long and could be shorter.
Getting Started Jane Sileo writes that, “Teachers
must first know the meaning of co-teaching, as well as logistics involved with the process.”
Also important is whether the instructor chose to co-teach or if it was chosen for them. A majority of Ivy Tech Indianapolis instructors are matched by an administrator based on availability
Parity, or equal status, requires that all responsibilities are shared equally. (In our case, planning the curriculum was the primary focus
(Sileo 2011)
Get to Know Each Other What are our styles? (Platinum Rule) What out of school responsibilities do
we each have? Child care, full time job, family issues, other classes?
What do we have in common? How are we different from each other?
How often and where will we meet to plan?
How will we communicate? How will we resolve differences?
Co-Create Your Courses
Who has experience with teaching either or both courses and/or coreqs?
How will the 093 class support the 111 assignments?
What are the major papers in 111? What teaching strategies will we use?
(Lecture, discussion, group activities) What forms of assessment will we use?
(Rubrics, quizzes, informal writing) How will we use technology? (Learning
Management System, e.g. Blackboard)
Reflect and Assess Solicit feedback from your students
via journals or surveys Exchange feedback with your co-
teacher Assess what worked well and what
flopped Decide if you would/could/should co-
teach together again If so, make a proactive plan to let
your chair know you would like to be assigned together the next semester
Begin to make any changes in the courses ahead of time to ensure co-teaching and student success
Recommendations
New instructors, even if qualified to teach both courses, should only teach one class first with an experienced co-teacher
Mentoring program/handbook Get acquainted with your co-teacher
before classes start Create a habit of constant communication Stipend for co-req team teachers to
compensate for their extra time ($680 in 2014)
Maintain teams that work. A committed marriage is better for the students than a one night stand!
For copies of this presentation, please
take a business card and we will email it to you.
Thank You!
Works Cited Allesandra, Tony. "The Platinum Rule."
Alessandra.com. Allesandra & Associates, Inc., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 Sept. 2014. <http://www.alessandra.com/abouttony/aboutpr.asp>.
Chapman, Carrie, and Cate Hart Hyatt. Critical Conversations in Co-teaching: A Problem-solving Approach. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2011. 1-165. Print.
“Co-Teaching the Co-Req.” Survey Monkey results from faculty. Sep 2014.
Eisen, Mary-Jane, and Elizabeth J. Tisdell, eds. Team Teaching and Learning in Adult Education. Fall 2000 ed. Vol. 87. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 1-94. Print.
“Reaching Higher, Achieving More." State of Indiana. Indiana Commission for Higher Education, n.d. Web. 10 Apr 2013. <http://www.in.gov/che/2713.htm>.
Sileo, Jane. "Co-Teaching: Getting to Know Your Partner." Teaching Exceptional Children 43.5 (2011): 32-38. Print.
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