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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Sprache: Englisch
Guaranteed Success for the Co-teaching Classroom Following the success of the first edition, Co-Teaching That Works: Structures and Strategies for Maximizing Student Learning, Second Edition is here to provide actionable advice to co-teachers seeking to utilize one another's strengths. Unlike other co-teaching books, this manual is written for every possible educator combination--not simply general educators. You'll find sections on everything from co-teaching in literacy and speech-language therapy to special education and technology so that, no matter what subject matter or expertise, you'll be prepared to co-teach. This book is written to provide concrete, actionable advice, including: * Co-Teaching Roll Out Plans * Leadership Guidelines * Relationship Development * Best Co-Teaching Models * Specially Designed Instruction * And more Educators will have the opportunity to learn from other experienced co-teachers who share their personal stories, tips, and tried-and-true co-teaching techniques that lead to student success. Their creative, time-efficient approaches will revolutionize the way you view your classroom teaching strategies and enhance your ability to collaborate with other educators. Whether you are planning to build your co-teaching strategy from scratch or just looking to refine your current approach, Co-Teaching That Works will undoubtedly be a priceless resource to have in your professional toolbox.
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Table of Contents
COVER
THE AUTHOR
Introduction
PART ONE: DEVELOPING A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
CHAPTER 1: An Overview of Co-Teaching
What Is Co-Teaching?
What Does the Research Say?
What Are the Benefits?
CHAPTER 2: Leadership for Co-Teaching
Multiyear Rollout Plan
Vision and Culture
Professional Learning That Yields Results
Expectations for Co-Teachers
Classroom Composition
Planning Time
Evaluation
Coaching for the Co-Taught Classroom
CHAPTER 3: Relationship Building
Communication
Roles and Responsibilities
Grading
Reflection
Celebrations
Courageous Conversations
CHAPTER 4: Specially Designed Instruction
Three Whats and Three Whys of SDI
Examples and Non-Examples
Planning with SDI in Mind
Steps for Co-Planning SDI
Another Glance
Note
PART TWO: SERVING UP EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION
CHAPTER 5: An Overview of the Models
CHAPTER 6: The Duet Model
At a Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 7: The Map and Navigate Model
At a Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 8: The Adding Model
At a Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 9: The Transforming Model
At a Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 10: The Complementing Model
At a Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 11: The Mixed-Readiness Grouping Model
At a Glance
Another Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 12: The Readiness Grouping Model
At a Glance
Another Glance
Roles and Responsibilities
Pros and Cons
CHAPTER 13: Grouping Configurations
Managing Small Groups
PART THREE: MAXIMIZING UNIQUE TALENTS
CHAPTER 14: Co-Teaching with a Special Education Teacher
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
CHAPTER 15: Co-Teaching with a Technology or Library Media Specialist
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
CHAPTER 16: Co-Teaching with a Speech/Language Pathologist
The “Old Rules”
The “New Rules”
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
CHAPTER 17: Co-Teaching with an Occupational or Physical Therapist
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
CHAPTER 18: Co-Teaching with a Paraeducator
Shaping the Role of the Paraeducator
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
CHAPTER 19: Co-Teaching with a Literacy Specialist
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
CHAPTER 20: Co-Teaching with an English Language Development Specialist
Best Models
Challenges
Essential for Success
PART FOUR: THE FINISHING TOUCHES
CHAPTER 21: Conclusion: Evolving Partnerships
APPENDIX: Instructional Strategies for Co-Taught Classrooms
Board Relay
Brain Bookmarks
Challenge the Text Questions
Character Layers
Clock Strips
Colored Acetate Strips
Connection Collection
Create a Question
Deal or No Deal
Discussion Chips
Group Graffiti
Highlighter Tape
Hop-Step Curtain
Junk Drawer Vocabulary
KleenSlates
Page Covers
RAFTs
Spelling Word Relay Teams
Symbolic Summary
Temple Strategy
Text Message Summary
The Answer Is …
Wikki Stix
Word Web
Work Masks
REFERENCES
INDEX
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
List of Tables
Chapter 5
TABLE 5.1: A Synopsis of Co-Teaching Models
Chapter 6
TABLE 6.1: Duet Model Unit Plan
TABLE 6.2: Collaborative Teaching Responsibilities Checklist—Duet
Chapter 7
TABLE 7.1: Lead and Support Lesson Plan
TABLE 7.2: Collaborative Teaching Responsibilities Checklist—Map and Navigate
Chapter 9
TABLE 9.1: Transforming Model Lesson Plan Example
Chapter 10
EXHIBIT 10.1: Complementing Model Lesson Plan
Chapter 13
TABLE 13.1: Appointment Calendars
Chapter 14
TABLE 14.1: Special Education Co-Teaching Schedules
Chapter 15
TABLE 15.1: Technology Co-Teaching Schedule
Chapter 17
TABLE 17.1: Co-Taught Lesson with an OT
TABLE 17.2: Co-Taught Lesson with a PT
Chapter 18
TABLE 18.1: Active Adding Examples for Paraeducators
TABLE 18.2: Co-Taught Lesson with a Paraeducator
Chapter 19
TABLE 19.2: Co-Taught Lesson with a Literacy Specialist—Secondary
Chapter 20
TABLE 20.1: Lesson Plan
List of Illustrations
Chapter 4
Exhibit 4.2: Evaluating Evidence Flowchart
Exhibit 4.3: Evaluating Evidence Expert Sheet
Chapter 5
Exhibit 5.1: Co-Teaching Café
Chapter 6
Exhibit 6.1: Instructional Cycle for Duet Model
Chapter 7
Exhibit 7.1: Instructional Process for Map and Navigate Model
Chapter 13
Exhibit 13.1: Flow Map with Pre-Teaching
Exhibit 13.2: Flow Map with Double Time
Exhibit 13.3: Dry Erase Desks
Chapter 16
Exhibit 16.1: Word Web
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
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More Praise for Co-Teaching That Works
“Anne brings co-teaching to life by not only providing the nuts and bolts of how to structure your co-teaching model, but also those practical ideas and strategies that co-teachers can take and implement right away. Direct connections to her readers and applicability to the classroom are her strengths!”
—Dr. Holly J. Porter, Director of Language Supports and Services, Cherry Creek School District #5
“An absolute must read for co-teaching teams that want a practical guide to improve instruction for all students. Beninghof has created a framework to improve practices that promote the development of co-teaching teams.”
—Michael Shelton, Special Services Director
“Teachers, building leaders, trainers, coaches, university faculty—anyone who wants to promote effective co-teaching—will benefit from Co-Teaching That Works. Beninghof's engaging stories, scenarios, and strategies taken from her personal classroom and training experiences with teachers and school leaders throughout the country, coupled with the research on co-teaching, instruction, student learning and leadership, make this a must read for any teaching team, school leadership or teacher preparation program engaged in improving student success through co-teaching. This book brings co-teaching alive, and will excite and empower its readers to provide impactful instruction!”
—Anne Louise Thompson, Ph.D., International Inclusive Education Lecturer and Senior Special Education Content Specialist
“Anne's comprehensive experience in co-teaching and Specially Designed Instruction provides educators at all levels effective strategies for implementing and sustaining co-teaching. Anne provides both practical and engaging ideas in an easy-to-follow, entertaining and humorous delivery. This is the co-teaching guide for both teachers and administrators!”
—Julie Weller, Assistant Director of Special Education, D C Everest School District
“Co-teaching that Works, Second Edition is another gem from Anne Beninghof. Filled with invaluable and authentic resources, the author shares strategies that are based on her extensive experience co-teaching. There is no other resource on the market this practical for co-teaching teams.”
—Debbie Gilmer, President, Syntiro, Readfield, Maine
“In her book Co-Teaching That Works, Anne Beninghof is able to capture not only the instructional best practices that can serve ALL teachers in meeting the needs of a diverse array of learners, she also addresses the importance of truly collaborative working relationships in a manner that serves our students. Additionally, Anne avoids ‘drive-by professional development’ by sharing quality structures to provide ongoing support to teams of teachers as they embark on the journey that is co-teaching.”
—Alan Wahlert Ed.D., Director of Teaching & Learning, Instructional Director for Business, Lake Forest High School
“Anne provides a powerful and must-have guide on effective co-teaching practices and how to maximize the power of two educators during planning and instructing in inclusive settings. Educators and school leaders will find a treasure trove of rich, practical teaching ideas and easy-to-access specially designed instructional strategies to differentiate instruction and improve student achievement in co-taught classrooms.”
—Savanna Flakes, Award-Winning Educator and International Inclusion Consultant
“Through her work, Anne Beninghof brings practical and engaging strategies to Specially Designed Instruction within multiple tiers. This book is a must read for both general and special educators who engage in teaming to support ALL learners.”
—Jane Byers, Nebraska MTSS State Coordinator
“This book not only helps ALL educators understand what successful co-teaching entails, but Anne Beninghof is masterful in her approach to providing practical strategies and approaches to make co-teaching work on behalf of teachers, school leaders and educational specialists in today's educational landscape. This book is necessary for all schools looking to make an impact by collectively analyzing the methods they use to best support the instructional practices taking place within their buildings.”
—Garth Larson, Ed.D, Co-Founder and President, FIRST Educational Resources, Oshkosh, WI
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Co-Teaching That Works
Structures and Strategies for Maximizing Student Learning
Second Edition
Anne M. Beninghof
Copyright © 2020 by Anne M. Beninghof. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Beninghof, Anne M., author.
Title: Co-teaching that works : structures and strategies for maximizing student learning / Anne M. Beninghof.
Description: Second edition. | San-Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass, [2020] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020008851 (print) | LCCN 2020008852 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119653325 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119653332 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119653318 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Teaching teams. | Classroom management.
Classification: LCC LB1029.T4 B46 2020 (print) | LCC LB1029.T4 (ebook) | DDC 371.14/8—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020008851
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020008852
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock
SECOND EDITION
THE AUTHOR
Anne M. Beninghof, an internationally recognized consultant and trainer, has more than thirty-eight years of experience working with students and teachers in a variety of public and private settings. She has been a special education teacher, adjunct faculty member of the University of Hartford and the University of Colorado, has published several books and videos, and provided staff development in all fifty states and several countries. She has also collaborated with numerous state agencies to bring about inclusive practices. Several years ago, Anne decided to follow her heart and return to the classroom, where she works part-time with teachers and students who are struggling with the learning process. In both her presenting and writing, Anne focuses on creative, practical solutions for more effectively including students with diverse learning needs in general education classrooms.
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Being willing is not enough. We must do.
—Leonardo da Vinci
If necessity is the mother of invention, urgency is the uncle of change. Without it, progress slows and then stops and then reverses.
—Nell Scovell
Introduction
“Saturday Scrolling” is what I call the time I take on the weekend to leisurely scroll through a variety of social media posts and click on random headlines. With my cup of coffee in one hand and my tablet in the other, I find articles and videos that inspire, inform, alarm, and make me laugh. I am very intentional about exploring topics that are off the beaten path for me, so when I saw the headline “Eating Like a Werewolf,” I just had to click it.
This new fad diet, rumored to be followed by several famous celebrities, requires you to fast for a twenty-four-hour period, beginning exactly when the full moon appears. Reviews claim that you can lose up to six pounds in one day. Now they really had my attention!
I googled fad diets and found a variety of suggestions that sounded equally dubious. Eat as much cabbage soup as you'd like (but nothing else) for seven days. Consume grapefruit every meal for a week. Live off of water, sunlight, and tea. And my personal favorite-Eat nine cookies a day!
Fortunately, the internet also provides quick access to research-based recommendations for nutritious eating. Medical professionals agree that a balanced, varied diet, focused on quality ingredients, is best. Researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health designed the Healthy Eating Plate, a simple illustration that portrays the best portion sizes and ingredients for a healthy diet. (Unfortunately, nine cookies a day didn't make the plate!) Simple, comprehensible guidelines like this make it easy to implement expert advice in day-to-day life.
Healthy diets are a great metaphor for co-teaching. Balance, variety, quality ingredients-these are all terms that apply to an effective co-taught classroom. We have years of experience and emerging research with collaborative, inclusive practices that can do away with the fads and myths, replacing them with sound advice and proven practices. When two adults work closely together to plan, prep, and serve up instruction that is delicious and nutritious, student learning will be strong and lasting. Imagine creating a co-teaching café that has a delicious, healthy menu that is satisfying to every customer!
For some educators, the co-teaching café can be intimidating. “What does it look like?” “Who's in charge?” and “Tell me how to do it!” are commonly heard requests. Stepping into the unknown world of working closely with another teacher, obliged to teach students with a wide variety of needs, can cause apprehension for new and veteran teachers alike. A detailed step-by-step cookbook may seem to be the answer.
But effective co-teaching must be recognized as a changing, accommodating, flexible form of teaching in order to be responsive to the needs of the heterogeneous group of students. A lockstep recipe will not allow for the myriad factors that affect the co-teaching classroom. Instead, flexible frameworks from which you can develop your own unique, yet effective, instruction work best. These frameworks, or models, describe ways in which two or more adults can work together to co-teach. By examining student factors, the curriculum, and available resources, co-teachers determine which model or models to use for a specific lesson or unit, blending them to create an instructional solution.
Blending all of the instructional factors into the best possible solution requires many decisions. When I worked as a solo teacher, all by myself in my classroom, I had what felt like a thousand decisions to make each day. Of course, there were the big decisions about what and how to teach. But there were lots of other decisions which might have seemed “little.” Should I let Mark's sloppy homework slide by because I knew his parents were in divorce proceedings? Could Rachel and Tamlyn work effectively in the same group after the friendship-ending blow-up they had yesterday? What color of paper should I use for copying the science worksheet? Enter a co-teacher. Now each of these decisions may require consensus. Now each of these decisions may take more time. Now each of these decisions may be better!
Over time we have learned strategies for making co-teaching decisions more effectively and efficiently. Since the first edition of this book was published, I have had the opportunity to co-teach with dozens of additional teachers and observe in hundreds of co-taught classrooms. Our accumulated experiences, along with a growing research base, has led to a collection of strategies that make co-teaching work. These strategies will be presented throughout this book. We have also learned that certain personal characteristics—flexibility and open-mindedness—lend themselves well to establishing and maintaining strong co-teaching relationships. And perhaps most important, we have learned that individual co-teaching partnerships must design their own unique model of co-teaching to best serve their students. This book will provide you with dozens of practical ideas for making your co-teaching more effective. Whether your partnership includes a special educator, a technology specialist, or an occupational therapist, there are ideas for you. Whether your partnership has abundant planning time or barely enough, there are ideas for you. Whether your instruction is highly differentiated or in the early stages, there are dozens of ideas that will work for you!
Chapter One provides a working definition of co-teaching for the purpose of this book, a review of the benefits, and current research. It will lay the groundwork for understanding what co-teaching looks like when described in greater detail throughout the remainder of the book. As you read it, consider the benefits that are most important to you and your partner. What do you hope to accomplish?
Chapter Two explores the pivotal role that leadership plays in developing and sustaining a co-teaching service model. If your district is new to co-teaching, the Roll-Out Plan recommendations will provide a solid grounding from which to launch your program. If your district is seeking ways to refine the co-teaching already in place, the tools in this chapter will help you reflect, evaluate, and choose steps for transformation.
Chapter Three looks at common challenges experienced by co-teachers and ideas for overcoming them. Many of the ideas presented are proactive and can bring about a positive partnership that includes parity and clarity. If you have already begun co-teaching, you will find suggestions for how to co-reflect on your practices and engage in courageous conversations with your partner. As you read these chapters, consider an action plan to incorporate some positive changes.
Chapter Four provides an in-depth look at Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and the important role it plays in the majority of co-taught classrooms. If you have students with disabilities, this chapter will guide you in a planning process to ensure that SDI is occurring within the general education setting. Specific lesson plan examples will paint a clear picture of what is SDI and what is not, as well as give you some practical teaching strategies you can use with your own students.
Part Two includes chapters describing the two major models of co-teaching, three ingredient models, and two models for serving up instruction. Each model is described in detail, using Teacher A and Teacher B to refer to the partners. Teacher A is usually the general education teacher, and Teacher B is usually the specialist, but there are also times when it is best to flip-flop the roles. Think flexibly about these as you peruse the examples. The chapters contain sample lesson plans, discussion of roles and responsibilities for the two teachers, and pros and cons to consider. Many of the lesson plans, marked with a shopping cart icon, include practical instructional strategies that are explained in detail in the appendix. Be ready to dog-ear pages that seem a good fit for you so that you can quickly find them again.
Part Three contains chapters describing co-teaching with seven different types of specialists. These chapters detail some of the unique characteristics of partnering with a type of specialist, sample lesson plans, and specific advice on actions essential for success. Browse all seven chapters or turn to the one most relevant to you.
Discussion and retrieval questions are included at the end of each chapter to help you consolidate new information. Research shows that learners should attempt to recall the information without looking back at notes. In Make it Stick, authors Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel (2014) tell us that it is the effort of retrieval that connects new information to what you already know, making it easier to recall in the future. Retrieval interrupts the natural process of forgetting. Retrieval practice can be used with students in myriad ways. It can be as simple as a no-stakes quiz or think-pair-share. Even better, retrieval practice can be done through creative methods such as crossword puzzles, game shows, or graphic brain dumps. When you encounter these questions at the conclusion of each chapter, try to answer them without looking back for the answers!
Following the conclusion is an appendix filled with how-to strategies for the innovative instructional strategies marked with the shopping cart icon. In addition to step-by-step directions for implementation, illustrations and black-line reproducibles are provided so that the ideas can be implemented with ease. You may wish to flip to the appendix when you see an unfamiliar strategy within a lesson plan. Be prepared with sticky notes to flag the strategies you want to use right away!
As you read about the co-teachers who share their stories here, you will see that they have each combined their own strengths, used various structures and strategies, and created their own recipes in order to best serve their students. What will your co-teaching café look like?
PART ONEDEVELOPING A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
CHAPTER 1An Overview of Co-Teaching
What Is Co-Teaching?
Co-teaching (or collaborative teaching) is a coordinated instructional practice in which two or more educators simultaneously work with a heterogeneous group of students in a general education classroom.
Several key terms in this definition emphasize essential elements for success. First, co-teaching is coordinated. Co-teaching partners spend time planning together, smoothly sharing instructional responsibilities, and collaboratively reflecting on their practices. Effective co-teaching can be compared to partners cooking dinner together—they take on different responsibilities, add their own flourishes, occasionally bump into each other, and finally sit down to share a tasty meal.
Many different educators can be involved in co-teaching relationships. Historically, special education teachers have been the most common to partner with classroom teachers, but this is rapidly changing. Successful partnerships have developed with English Language teachers, speech therapists, librarians, literacy specialists, occupational and physical therapists, gifted specialists, technology specialists, social workers, and school psychologists. Inclusive schools seek innovative ways to use all staff to directly support student learning. In addition, powerful examples exist of co-teaching with paraeducators or instructional aides. Many districts hesitate to use the term co-teaching when referring to paraeducators, but all agree that para educators can be more fully utilized in inclusive classrooms. Of course, how these individuals co-teach will depend on the expertise they bring to the classroom and the time they have available.
Co-teaching differs from collaborative consultation because both educators are simultaneously engaged in the instructional process. Rather than a specialist suggesting a few instructional ideas to a teacher and then retreating, the partners are implementing the planned instruction together. As future chapters will detail, co-teaching can take many different forms 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 co-teaching always requires the active engagement of both educators for the entire period.
Other definitions of co-teaching exist (Basso and McCoy 2007; Murawski 2009; Villa, Thousand, and Nevin 2004; Fattig and Taylor 2008). The simplest of these is “co-teaching is having two teachers in the room.” Of course, effective co-teaching is so much more than just two adults in a class together. You may even know of schools that claim to be doing co-teaching, yet the specialists spend most of their time circulating the room. Perhaps you know of co-teaching initiatives that don't provide any common planning time for partners, or even a teacher who believes that co-teaching consists solely of pulling a small group of students with individualized education plans (IEPs) to the back of the room and doing a separate activity. These variations on the definition cause confusion and resistance. Effective co-teaching is highly coordinated co-instruction that fully utilizes the skills and talents that both teachers bring to the classroom.
What Does the Research Say?
In fact, so many different definitions and interpretations exist that it has been difficult to gather data on the effectiveness of co-teaching. In somewhat of an understatement, one educator concluded, “Co-teaching is not a phenomenon that lends itself to precise investigation” (DLDCEC 2001).
While the body of research is small, it is growing.
An elementary school study showed that students with disabilities made significantly more progress in co-taught classes than those in separate educational settings, with the difference growing over time (Tremblay 2013).
A study on teacher competency showed that co-teaching resulted in improved content knowledge for special educators and improved pedagogical knowledge for general educators. Researchers concluded that co-teaching resulted in co-constructed professional development for participants which benefited students in inclusive settings (Shaffer and Thomas-Brown 2015).
A research review concluded that when co-teachers work closely together and have the time to plan, small positive outcomes are achieved (Solis, Vaughn, Swanson, and McCulley 2012, 507). These same researchers found, comparing co-teaching to other forms of consultation, that “when specialists recommend improved instructional practices to teachers, instructional changes are unlikely to be realized in the classroom. However, when the specialists coordinate curriculum changes, significant changes are more likely to occur” (507).
A middle school study involving students with learning disabilities showed slight growth in grades between the first and third quarters of the year, leading the researcher to conclude that co-teaching had a positive outcome on student achievement (Chilmonik 2016).
Accelerated outcomes were seen on Maryland state reading and math assessments for students that participated in co-teaching as a systemic, continuous improvement strategy (Walsh 2012).
In a study involving general and special education teachers, a majority of participants perceived co-teaching to have benefits for their students (Chitiyo 2017).
An examination of student perspectives on various co-teaching models found that students believed best benefit was acquired when a variety of co-teaching models were utilized (Keeley, Brown, and Knapp 2017).
In a study of vocabulary acquisition in primary grades, researchers found that children with speech-language impairments made stronger gains in a co-taught setting (between a classroom teacher and a speech/language pathologist [SLP]) than in pull-out or in-class support (Throneburg et al. 2000).
A study centered on the infusion of language skills (vocabulary, phonemic awareness) in urban kindergarten settings found that students who were English language learners (ELLs) and native English speakers in a co-taught classroom (classroom teacher and an SLP) showed significantly greater language gains than those in a traditional classroom (Hadley, Simmerman, Long, et al. 2000).
A New York elementary school found literacy achievement increased for students with disabilities, from 20 percent at or above grade level to 42 percent in just two years as a result of co-teaching intervention (Theoharis and Causton-Theoharis 2010).
A Georgia middle school found that students with and without disabilities showed significant increases on standardized tests in mathematics and language arts after two years of co-teaching. In addition, there was a significant decrease in the numbers of students with chronic attendance problems (Burns 2010).
Meta-analyses of the research on co-teaching with special educators found only a handful of well-designed studies to include in the review. The results of these studies indicated that co-teaching may be moderately effective in language arts and mathematics (Murawski and Swanson, 2001; Scruggs, Mastropieri, and McDuff 2007).
The Council for Exceptional Children, based on a comprehensive review of what works for students with disabilities, has identified collaboration with general education teachers as one of the most essential practices for special educators to master (CEC and CEEDAR Center 2017).
While the available research shows positive results associated with co-teaching, the current database is extremely limited. The most important data we have is found within classrooms, schools, and districts. Teachers and leaders should be routinely collecting and examining their own data to determine if co-teaching is working as well as they'd like.
What Are the Benefits?
The good news is that many practicing educators report positive outcomes from co-teaching. Observed benefits include:
Professional Growth
Undergraduate programs can only pack so much into a four-year plan. Classroom teachers and specialists begin their jobs, understandably, with a limited knowledge and experience base. If they work in isolation, that knowledge and experience base will continue to have limits. In contrast, educators who co-teach have the opportunity to learn from daily interaction and observation of a colleague with a very different background. For specialists, on the one hand, this usually means deepening and broadening their content knowledge. Classroom teachers, on the other hand, gain skills in working with students who learn in unique ways. The enhanced knowledge and skills of both partners benefit all the students these professionals serve, in and outside of the co-taught classroom. Misti Werle, the Library Media Systems Innovator in Bismarck Public Schools explained, “When the doors are closed, I am not growing. When the doors are open, I am learning from others and we are growing together” (personal communication 2019).
“The enhanced knowledge and skills of both partners benefit all the students these professionals serve, in and outside of the co-taught classroom.”
Improved Instruction
Good instruction is served by connecting ideas. Innovation is usually the result of an idea that is germinated through a process of reflection, sharing, testing, and redesigning with collaborators. As Steven Johnson, author of Where Good Ideas Come From, writes, “Good ideas want to connect, fuse, recombine. They want to reinvent themselves by crossing conceptual borders” (2010, 282). Research on professional learning communities, small groups of collaborative educators, shows the power of being able to tap into the collective creativity and wisdom of colleagues. Teachers who collaborate with colleagues develop instructional ideas that are more effective for students.
Differentiation
Differentiated instruction is based on the premise that teachers should adapt instruction to meet students’ varying readiness levels, learning preferences, and interests. Although most educators agree with this premise, they also agree that practical application is a challenge. Co-teaching makes differentiated instruction so much easier. Two heads and four hands make planning and implementing differentiation possible on a daily basis. Co-teachers bring different perspectives to lesson design, creating plans that include higher and lower levels of complexity and more hands-on applications. During instruction, partners flexibly group students as needed to ensure that all are learning at their highest levels. In addition, shared classroom management allows teachers to feel more comfortable with multiple learning activities taking place simultaneously in the room.
Teacher Access
Students consistently report a preference for a co-taught classroom. A typical comment is, “If one teacher was busy, the other could help me.” Access to brief, individual assistance in the classroom allows students to get help immediately, rather than waiting for a tutorial or study hall later in the day. This means that students are able to continue learning with the class, rather than mentally dropping out due to poor comprehension and frustration.
Behavior Management
One student made a complaint about his co-taught classroom, saying, “When one's not watching you, the other is!” Behavior management is a natural outcome of a co-taught class because there are two sets of eyes for monitoring students, two bodies for proximity control, and two teachers to mix things up and make learning more interesting. When the occasional behavioral issue arises, one of the two teachers can intervene, removing the student if necessary, while the other can continue instruction for the rest of the class.
Student Engagement
Several factors are related to high engagement. Robert Marzano and Debra Pickering (2010), noted authors and researchers, identified the four major components of engagement as emotion, student interest, an understanding of importance, and a sense of efficacy. A master teacher infuses one or more of these attributes in every lesson. But co-teachers can do this even more readily. Two adults can engage in a heated debate about a topic. Two adults can quickly generate connections to show the importance of the content to real life. Two adults can share multiple perspectives and multiple voices about a topic. Most importantly, two adults can easily create ways for students to do all of these things!
Support for Unidentified Students
Many a teacher has lost sleep over the students who fall through the cracks—those students who are not identified for special services or extra help but are struggling. When specialists co-teach, they can use their expertise to have an impact on learning for all students in a class, not just those with labels. At a New York high school known for its high expectations, 86 percent of teachers surveyed felt that co-teaching gave them the opportunity to reach students who might otherwise be at risk of failure (Pittsford Central School District 2006). Speech and occupational therapists, literacy specialists—so many educators who used to work with just identified students—embrace the opportunity to help all kids. Nicole Avery, an English Language Development specialist at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Colorado, shared an experience many co-teachers can relate to.
Time on Task
Pull-out models of service delivery in elementary schools usually involve students leaving their classroom in the midst of instruction to receive support in another space. If you have ever watched a young child walk through a school hallway, you know that the journey is not always quick or direct. Distractions abound, from peering into other classrooms and perusing the artwork hanging on the walls to chatting with friends and waving to teachers. All of this is lost instructional time—something struggling students cannot afford. Then, when they finally return to their classrooms, these students find that they have no idea what is going on. Instruction has proceeded without them. Teachers or peers have to try to catch them up to the rest—something struggling students do not do quickly. Co-teaching solves this problem. Students’ time on task is maximized because they do not leave the classroom.
“Students’ time on task is maximized because they do not leave the classroom.”
The beauty of the co-taught class is that it is so beneficial for all of the students. When students have questions, one of us is almost always available to help, give hints or expand their thinking. With two of us, we are able to give the students feedback that they need in order to understand where they are in their own learning in a more timely manner. We had a student in a co-taught class that was very unsure of himself and extremely shy. In a regular classroom, he was one of those students that would fall through the cracks because he was quiet, not disruptive and not confident enough to ask questions. When he was in our class, he was able to get the instruction and attention that he needed to gain confidence in himself. He even told me that he felt like he was good at math for the first time in his life. The part that melts my heart is that the confidence continued on with him into his high school math class. He sent me an email his freshman year and told me that his math teacher suggested that he should think about taking an honors math class! (personal communication 2019)
Sense of Belonging
An inclusion advocate once linked the rising tide of teen suicide to the rising rates of students in special education. He voiced concern that students with disabilities, as well as other students, were receiving the message that people who were different didn't belong. Though this connection may seem a far stretch, we do know that students often admit feelings of embarrassment and isolation when they are removed from the classroom for services. The stigma associated with removal can leave a lasting impact. Co-teaching avoids these negative feelings by communicating the message that all students comprise the learning community, all students have strengths and weaknesses, and all students are worthwhile.
Acceptance of Diversity
Take a look inside a truly inclusive classroom and you will see a kaleidoscope—students of different colors, sizes, talents—all blending together into one masterpiece of learning. Children who grow up in spaces where diversity is cherished are able to easily embrace diversity in the world around them. As global collaboration increases, graduates who are comfortable with diversity will be more successful. As Sir Ken Robinson beautifully expresses, “As humanity becomes more numerous and interwoven, living respectfully with diversity is not just an ethical choice, it is a practical imperative” (Robinson and Aronica 2015, 49).
“Children who grow up in spaces where diversity is cherished are able to easily embrace diversity in the world around them.”
High Expectations
“I didn't know she could do that!” This exclamation is often heard when schools transition from pull-out services to inclusive education. Classroom teachers and specialists are frequently amazed by students who rise to the higher expectations of a general education setting. As far back as 1987, researchers were documenting that IEPs written for students in inclusive settings were of a higher quality on several dimensions considered to be best practices (Hunt, Goetz, and Anderson 1986). More recently, John Hattie's meta-analysis of teaching practices identified high expectations as one of the most impactful things teachers can do to bring about significant growth (Hattie 2012). In effective co-teaching, partners presume competence in all students. This is the least dangerous mind-set—assuming that they can do with the right supports, rather than assuming that they can't (Rapp, Arndt, and Hildenbrand 2019).
TO SUM UP
Co-teaching is a coordinated instructional practice in which two or more educators simultaneously work with a heterogeneous group of students in a general education classroom.
Research on co-teaching is limited, but professional educators report numerous benefits. The benefits that partners experience will depend on which co-teaching models they use and how effectively they work together.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Many definitions of co-teaching exist. What do you see as the key components of a definition that a school might choose to adopt?
What does emerging research about co-teaching suggest? How might you research your own efforts?
What benefits of co-teaching are teachers most likely to experience in the initial stages? In the later stages? Which benefits are you most excited about?
CHAPTER 2Leadership for Co-Teaching: Common Challenges and Effective Solutions
The population of my town has exploded in recent years. Housing developments have popped up everywhere, schools are building additions, and new restaurants are arriving monthly. My friends and I went out to eat at one of the latest additions, Root and Branch Bistro. The owner of this family-owned restaurant shared that they have seen a steady increase in customers since opening seven months ago, thanks in part to the rave reviews on social media. The food was delicious, with just the right amount of new and traditional ingredients, the service was top-notch, and the price seemed about right for the value. Yet, as I drove away, I couldn't help but wonder if it would still be there a year from now.
What makes a new business successful while its competition fails? How do lending companies decide which enterprises to fund, with the hope of investments yielding positive returns? They look for a sound idea and a well-thought-out plan. School districts must also have a clear idea of what they want and a concrete plan to get there.
Multiyear Rollout Plan
When I talk with others about co-teaching practices, they often sense urgency in my voice. Students need our very best efforts as soon as possible! A part of me wants to rush ahead to try to reach the goal line. However, for co-teaching to last, we need to slow down enough to create a plan and follow it.
