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Coteaching Isn’t Taking Turns; It’s Teaching Together

2/23/2012

6 Comments

 
Originally a guest post at EDView 360 http://soprislearning.wordpress.com/
February 21, 2012By Anne M. Beninghof

Coteaching (or collaborative teaching) is defined as a coordinated instructional practice in which two or more educators simultaneously work with a heterogeneous group of students in a general education classroom. A key word in this definition is coordinated. Coteaching partners spend time planning together, smoothly share instructional responsibilities, and collaboratively reflect on their practices. Effective coteaching can be compared to synchronized swimming: teammates must carefully coordinate, not only to win, but to avoid drowning!

Coteaching can look many different ways to the casual observer. Within one period, we may see both teachers take a lead in lecturing, giving directions, monitoring student behavior, or taking responsibility for a small group. We may see one teacher quietly collecting observational data while the other facilitates whole-group instruction, or one teacher problem solving with an individual student while the other continues the lesson. No matter what it looks like, effective coteaching always requires the active engagement of both educators for the entire period.

I have the opportunity to visit many schools around the country that wish to implement effective coteaching. As I observe in classrooms that are labeled “cotaught,” I see a wide range of implementation. In many cases I observe two educators fully engaged during the lesson, contributing their unique expertise to meet the needs of the students. But just as often I see one educator, usually the specialist, greatly underutilized. Evidence of this may include:

  • Hearing the specialist’s voice rarely or not at all
  • Seeing the specialist leaning against a wall for a significant portion of time, waiting for the general education teacher to finish lecturing
  • Watching the specialist wander the aisles, offering minimal cues or supports to individual students who may be struggling
  • Failing to note anything that could be called “specially designed instruction”
  • Observing little or no interaction between teachers
While debriefing my observations with teachers and administrators, I frequently learn that the coteaching partners have no common planning time. For coteaching to be most effective, partners must have time to coordinate their instructional efforts. Administrators must make common planning a priority when designing the schedules. Teachers must also create time-efficient ways to enhance their coteaching.

For example, a short brainstorming session with coteachers yielded 30 different tasks that Teacher A could be doing while Teacher B is lecturing, including:

  • Writing color-coded notes on the board or laptop
  • Echoing key words from Teacher B
  • Pulling up an online site (thesaurus, encyclopedia, media) to support instruction
  • Providing kinesthetic tools, manipulatives, aids, and props
  • Counting down, giving time clues, or managing a visual timer
  • Prompting engagement with directions such as: “Stand up if you …, Turn and talk about …,  Stomp your feet if …”
  • Going on-the-spot to websites to show visual images
Another reason teachers cite for underutilizing the specialist is that they are in their first year of coteaching together and will “step it up” after they become more comfortable with each other. Students cannot afford for teachers to spend a year or more getting used to each other.For the sake of our students, we must “step it up” right away. This often means that the specialist must advocate more strongly for a significant role in the classroom. This may also mean that the general education teacher must welcome and, even more, expect the specialist to share ideas and expertise.

When both parties are willing and committed to effective coteaching, these conversations can be dynamic springboards for excellent instruction. When one party is less willing, these conversations can be difficult and uncomfortable. For the sake of our students, teachers need to have these conversations, no matter how uncomfortable. Luckily, resources are abundant! Checklists, discussion guides, and problem-solving processes can help partners clarify their roles and responsibilities so that both sets of skills and expertise are fully utilized. These tools and additional ideas can be found at www.ideasforeducators.com.

6 Comments
Karen Curie
6/4/2013 05:54:42 am

Hello Anne,
We are interested in information about your ability to come to our district, the Huron Intermediate School District, in Bad Axe Michigan, to train teachers in Co-Teaching. We have looked at the resources you and Sonya Kunkel have created and the training you are offering in Chicago and feel the two of you are a great fit for our area. My name is Karen Currie, I can be reached at curriekm@hisd.k12.mi.us. Specific questions we have are: what is your availability in fall 2013, is a four day training standard?

Thanks for your time!

Reply
Pat Menzel
1/15/2019 10:43:56 am

I am interested in having you either come and do co-teacher training and/or co-teacher trainer training so I can implement this delivery model throughout my district. We are a K-8 school system with 1 K-8 building and two smaller K-4 buildings.
My neighboring school district, SAD 61 has been implementing the model in her schools since attending your train the trainer workshop they attended. Could we talk about this as a possibility?
Thanks
Pat

Reply
Anne M Beninghof
2/8/2022 03:32:55 pm

I just saw this - for some reason was never notified of your request. You can email me directly at anne@ideasforeducators.com if you are still interested.

Reply
Elli link
12/27/2020 11:08:25 pm

Great blog, thanks for posting this.

Reply
Angie
2/8/2022 10:24:02 am

I’m a specialist and I Work at the high school level with 2 other teachers, one biology and the other in physics and earth science. Neither teacher really allows me to teach or gives me any specific duties. I end up being a glorified para support to both. My job satisfaction is pretty low. I disagree with many teaching methods and sometimes I even feel strapped on and devalued. How can I change the dynamic. I’m frustrated because I also have a caseload of 25 students and only one free period that is used for case management. After school I work with students in tutoring and before school I do not have time to come early due to managing my own family. I feel like leaving my job, it’s not what I thought.

Reply
Anne M Beninghof
2/8/2022 03:31:46 pm

Have you spoken with an administrator? What are their expectations for co-teaching? Perhaps you can ask for you and your partners to attend a PD seminar on co-teaching or get some training and guidance from someone within the school district. Do you have co-planning time? If so, are you being assertive within that time and suggesting adaptations? Have you had courageous conversations with your co-teaching partners or are you avoiding possible conflict? Your comment “allows me….or gives me specific duties” gives me the sense that you see it as their class, rather than assuming an equal role. Have you offered to take the lead with certain parts of a lesson? I often start with asking to do a warmup or closure activity (2-3 minutes) that teaches a memory or study skill strategy they will need to retain the key point of the lesson. Or instead of asking, perhaps presenting it as “by law, We are supposed to be providing specially designed instruction within these lessons. Let’s brainstorm about the best ways to do that. “ Best wishes! Anne

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    Anne M. Beninghof

    Anne's mission is to improve instruction through collaboration and the sharing of creative, practical ideas for educators.

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