How I feel about Collaborative Teaching...

       I believe co-teaching is effective because I have seen first hand how this style of teaching can benefit both the students as well as the teachers who are involved. Through my field experiences I have observed a productive co-teaching environment where the general education teacher and collaborative teacher worked together to ensure that students with learning disabilities and general education students learn the course material thoroughly.
       When implemented properly, co-teaching can change lives and inspire students who often struggle. Test scores among students can rise and teachers skills within the classroom and thrive off of co-teaching. In the setting I observed, the collaborative teacher was aware of what the general education teacher planned to teach and helped facilitate learning in the classroom by monitoring student progress and helping students when necessary. Both teachers appeared comfortable in this setting and it was apparent that the students also felt comfortable with the instruction given by each teacher.
       I believe that this easy flow of learning would not have been possible if those co-teachers did not meet and conduct extensive planning and preparation. While talking to my mentor teacher (the general education teacher) she informed me that working with a collaborative teacher was a blessing. She explained how they would meet to discuss the needs of each student who had a learning disability. In their planning meetings they worked to create strategies that would effectively teach the students without demeaning them or drawing attention to his or her disability. My mentor teacher stated that by working with a collaborative teacher she has learned several new skills and now feels more comfortable about inclusion and the No Child Left Behind Act.
          I am definitely a supporter of co-teaching and I will implement this teaching pedagogy in my classroom. I realize that I am only one person who cannot meet the needs of each student daily alone. I value the help of a collaborative teacher and appreciate his or her passion for helping students with learning disabilities. Although I have had training in special education, my classes are nowhere near as extensive as the course collaborative teachers take on teaching students with special needs. I plan to draw knowledge and strategies for teaching based off their expertise to help make my classroom’s learning environment one that will be life changing and beneficial to both the student as well as me, the instructor.

Team teaching...it's a partnership!

            Team teaching gives students a chance to witness modeling of the lesson from their teachers. This approach to teaching is interactive and engaging.  Team teaching requires extensive preparation otherwise it will not be effective in the classroom. Teachers must work well together for this approach to be meaningful. Activities such as role-playing, debating, and simulated models are the most interactive ways of team teaching.

                            STRENGTHS

• Allows both teachers to blend their teaching styles and expertise

                            CHALLENGES

• Requires more planning
• Requires high level of trust and commitment 

The following link demonstrates a great example of team teaching, please click HERE

Station teaching...differientiated learning...

Station teaching favors a group-centered learning environment. For lessons that are interactive and require continuous movement around the classroom this model is perfect. Each teacher, in this model, is expected to move throughout the room with students and aid in the learning that takes place. This inclusive environment allows students with learning disabilities to feel welcomed into the classroom. 

             STRENGTH

• Professional engagement
• Increase instructional intensity
• individualization

           CHALLENGES

• Pacing
• Students need to work independently
• Noise level

Attached is a video of station teaching...is it effective, I am not completely sure! Station Teaching

Parallel teaching...or Intersecting mayhem?

Parallel Teaching splits the class in half so that each teacher is teaching students at the same time. This approach is good for a class that may be split in learning level and will give students who are ahead a chance to keep progressing while students who may be a little behind get a chance for review and time to catch up. With parallel teaching, each teacher must be prepared to teach and each teacher should be on one accord about what the other teacher plans to cover in his or her teaching time.

                 

                  STRENGTHS

• Lowers student to teacher ratio
• Allows for increased student interaction and/or student to student interaction
• Allows the teacher to monitor individual student progress and understand more closely 

                 CHALLENGES

• General Educator & Special Educator need to coordinate teaching so that students receive essentially the same instruction within the same amount of time
• Noise levels may be high

Co Teaching Strategies

One Teach..One Support..

The One Teach One Support model is led by either the general education teacher or the collaborative teacher. Teaching regulations require that the general education teacher conduct initial instruction. After the general education teacher initiates the lesson either teacher can lead this model of instruction. Whoever is not teaching is participating in the lesson by supporting the other teacher. This is effective because it gives the students an opportunity to hear a lesson taught by a different teacher on occasion and could potentially add a new outlook to the classroom setting.

The Co-Teaching: Guide for Creative Effective Practices lists Strengths and Challenges for this method of instruction.

STRENGTHS

1) Limited teacher planning

2) Provides basic support to

students with diverse needs

CHALLENGES

1) The "assist" teacher may feel like a

glorified teacher's assistant

2) Students may question the "assist" teacher's authority

See the Co-Teaching Strategies post for a youtube clip demonstrating collaborative teaching.

Co-Teaching...what is it?

Co- teaching is defined as a collaboration of two teachers to help general education students as well as students with learning disabilities. Co-teaching is a technique that can be used within the general education classroom and is a direction strategy implemented based off of the idea of No Child Left Behind that encourages all teachers to teach inclusively. No Child Left Behind encourages educators, both general education and special education, to consider the learning environment of students with learning disabilities, no matter the severity. There are several methods of approaching co-teaching. The following are models of co-teaching: One Teach One Support, Parallel, Station, Team Teaching, and Alternative. Each model focuses on a different way of teaching students but all are student friendly and productive when used properly within the classroom.

Click the following link for more information about the No Child Left Behind act.

Information for this research was found using the following document: Co Teaching in the Classroom