I used to teach alone. One of the few advantages of teaching alone is that when I was "wandering" the room, checking on students, I knew which I had checked on and which I hadn't.
Thankfully, I now co-teach. There are so many benefits and very few drawbacks. One drawback, though, is that teacher wandering becomes more complicated. As an observer and coach in co-taught classrooms, I often see Teacher A stop to check in with a student and then wander away, only to see Teacher B stop to check in with that same student a moment later. Invariably, some students or groups are checked on too often, while others are overlooked. This can interrupt a student's work flow. It can also cause dependence.
A simple solution to this problem is to divide your co-taught classroom into North and South sections (or East and West.) Turn to your partner at the beginning of a student work period and offer them the choice - North or South side? Of course, you can both still respond to emergencies on the other side. By using this simple management strategy, you can boost student work flow and independence.
Thankfully, I now co-teach. There are so many benefits and very few drawbacks. One drawback, though, is that teacher wandering becomes more complicated. As an observer and coach in co-taught classrooms, I often see Teacher A stop to check in with a student and then wander away, only to see Teacher B stop to check in with that same student a moment later. Invariably, some students or groups are checked on too often, while others are overlooked. This can interrupt a student's work flow. It can also cause dependence.
A simple solution to this problem is to divide your co-taught classroom into North and South sections (or East and West.) Turn to your partner at the beginning of a student work period and offer them the choice - North or South side? Of course, you can both still respond to emergencies on the other side. By using this simple management strategy, you can boost student work flow and independence.
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