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Great resource for changing the concept of word walls

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A MiddleWeb Blog

One might say that vocabulary is the currency of the classroom. And wouldn't you agree that we want our kids to be RICH with vocabulary?

If kids don't know lots of words, if they don't understand the words, and if they can't use the words, then those words are of no value to them.

Instead, they are deprived. Undernourished. The words we use with students must be accessible, valuable, and usable. Think of them as nutrients, vital to their learning muscles.

So how do we create classrooms that build and strengthen students' vocabulary? Classrooms where student vocabulary is thriving?

One of best techniques I've come across in my years in education is the interactive word wall. You might recall the traditional type of word wall. You know, the teacher-created, alphabetic, random word wall. That is not what I'm referring to here.

The interactive word wall is very different. Here's why.

Interactive word walls across the curriculum

I was first formally introduced to interactive word walls by Dr. Julie Jackson, an Associate Professor of Science Education at Texas State University, who has done research and implemented interactive word walls in many Texas schools.

Her discoveries about interactive word walls have been published in multiple journals. And she is amazing! Her work is primarily with science studies; however, her word-wall strategies can be applied in any content area.

An interactive word wall is basically a large graphic organizer displaying critical vocabulary on the wall. It is thematic or unit-based and includes pictures or graphics related to the words. The benefits of an interactive word wall are outstanding for all students, not just language learners!

Picturing words to boost retention

Since the interactive word wall is structured in the form of a graphic organizer, students are able to grasp and organize information easily. Words become related to one another and connections are built.

In a typical static word wall, the only organization is that the wall is in alphabetical order. Under each letter the teacher places random words that start with that particular letter. For example, under the letter A, words like airplane, ambulance, art, angel, always, anytime, etc. could be listed. These words have no relationship to one another. And only students who can already read the words truly have access to them.

An interactive word wall includes visuals, graphics, or realia (real objects) with each word. Students are able to connect words with their meanings very quickly. For language learners, the benefits are obvious! If the interactive word wall is about Energy and one the words on it is light bulb, a visual is the quickest way to demonstrate the meaning. Instantly a language learner identifies what that word means and sees the word daily inside the classroom environment.

Students do the work!

It has often been said that "those who do the work, do the learning." Absolutely! That's another reason why the interactive word wall benefits all students. Students are the ones doing the work.

The teacher creates the overall outline of the graphic organizer and the headings. Then while the teaching, learning, reading and exploring happen, students interact with the wall. They write the words that go in the categories and they add pictures for the words. If needed, the teacher is there to guide them.

Kids get so excited about seeing these walls come alive and grow as their own knowledge grows! I've seen kids bring words and pictures from home and put them on the wall. Essentially, they've given themselves homework, but it's self-motivated!

During the process, the teacher can model how to use the word wall for listening, speaking, reading and writing. Here's how:

T: reads the title Forms of Energy. "I can say this in a complete sentence. Listen and then repeat after me. There are many forms of energy."
S: "There are many forms of energy." T: "Look at the headings. Heat, sound, and light. I can say this in a sentence too. Listen and repeat. Heat, sound and light are three forms of energy." T: "Now look under the heat column. Pick an example. Use this sentence frame to talk with your partner about heat energy. I claim that ______is a form of heat energy because...." (Sentence frame was posted on the wall for students to refer to as they spoke.)

Setting the stage for writing
S: Use the sentence frame to talk with their partner.

The interactive word wall provides students with the academic vocabulary that we want them to use when they are speaking and writing about the topic. The sentence frames provide the language structure.

When we put this vocabulary in their mouths before they write, they are more capable of developing higher quality writing. Imagine what the writing will look like if they have a chance to talk first and have the wall to refer to during writing.

When the wall is pretty much complete, we can teach students to use it to form a piece of writing. Just like we taught them to talk using complete sentence with each piece of the wall, now we model how to write that way.

Some students will need more scaffolding than others. Language learners at various levels will have different needs. Some will benefit from example writing pieces or mentor texts. Others will need paragraph frames to help with language structures and propel their writing.

Another technique to support writers is to chunk the writing. Start with modeling how to write the introduction. Then let them try. Always refer back to the interactive word wall. This is their word bank.

A method to include all students

This type of word wall is accessible to all students. That's the beauty of it. It's not just good for some of the kids. It's not just valuable and readable to the kids who can already read in English or who are reading on grade level. Every student can access it because of the visuals, graphics, and realia.

Teachers ask what to do with the interactive word wall once the unit is over. I've come across many options, and you just have to figure out what works best for you. Some teachers layer their interactive word walls over one another. Some hang theirs on clothing hangers and on a rack, so students can access them if needed. Others take a picture of their wall and keep an album of all the interactive word walls in one spot for students to look at if needed.

As middle grade teachers we have to remember that word walls are not just for primary grades. In fact, as the vocabulary gets more difficult, word walls should become more sophisticated and used in every classroom all the way up to twelfth grade.

Adapting to messy, student-created walls

Interactive word walls are messy. But learning is messy too. They are student created. So don't expect them to be cookie cutter and perfect. They won't look like you spent all night preparing them. We have to get over that. Trust me, I used to be that teacher who prepared the entire word wall for the class. I did all the work. I did all the writing, cutting, and putting the words up. I learned a lot. I also learned that the kids needed to be doing the work.

Now, you may be that teacher who is saying to yourself, "But I love my traditional word wall. I've done it for years and I think it works for my kids." I know. Change is difficult. I used to think the same thing about my beautiful word wall UNTIL I witnessed the power of the interactive word wall.

Realizing that my traditional word wall was not emphasizing and connecting the vocabulary from the state standards that my students really needed was a big eye opener too. My students needed higher levels of academic vocabulary in order to make adequate progress in reading and writing. The old word wall just wasn't cutting it.

Our classroom walls are massively valuable to us. We know that what we put on them needs to be important. Being selective is key. Interactive word walls definitely give you the biggest bang for your buck!
Resources I recommend for learning more about interactive word walls: Step by Step video on How to Create an Interactive Word Wall The Science Toolkit The Science Toolkit Facebook Page Interactive Word Walls The Best Ideas on How to Use Classroom Walls by Larry Ferlazzo Image credit: The photos above are from 6th Grade classrooms. Used with permission from Dr. Julie Jackson.

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Engage Kids in Vocabulary: Use Interactive Word Walls

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Valentina Gonzalez recommends interactive word walls in all subjects, creating classrooms where vocabulary learning is robust for ELLs and everyone else.

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WIDA Conference Presentation; Email me at jessicalenhart23@gmail.com if you would like to edit using Google Docs

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Content available on various reading levels

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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From frustration...

...to understanding

Don't let an abstruse lexicon heighten your trepidation. Rewordify.com can assuage your anxiety.

Don't let a difficult and confusing word list increase your fear and nervousness. Rewordify.com can calm your fear and stress.

Rewordify.com simplifies difficult English. Enter hard sentences (or whole chapters) into the yellow box at the top of the page. (You can also enter a web site URL.) Click Rewordify text and you'll instantly see an easier version, for fast understanding. The reworded words are highlighted- click them to hear and learn the original harder word. You can change how the highlighting works to match the way you learn!

Do you dislike dictionaries because they're confusing and unhelpful? You'll love Rewordify.com's clear, easy-to-understand definitions-they change to match the original word or phrase's part of speech, verb tense, and singular/plural form, so they make sense. Our amazing Rewordifying Engine is what makes it all possible, and no other web site has it.

Want to see something now? Click Classic Literature at the top and start reading-easier.

Learn more words faster. Our exclusive Learning Sessions actively teach you words so you learn them. Any time you paste in a block of text, our software finds all the hard words, lets you pick which ones you want to learn, and then teaches them to you in a Learning Session.

A Learning Session isn't an online quiz: it's an effective, step by step process where you hear words and phrases, type them, and read them. The software re-teaches you exactly what you need when you need it, and moves ahead when you're ready. When you've learned a word, the site stops "rewording" it, so the site grows with you as you learn! Learn more about Learning Sessions.

Learn the way you want-from what you want to read. You can change the way the site works to fit your learning style as you read and learn from almost any text passage or web page. See the different highlighting styles in the box? You can pick any of them, and lots more options. Click the Settings link (at the bottom of the page now, or at the top of any page) to see all the choices you have. (The demo text in the box here never changes.)

Chart your progress and have fun. You can keep track of your learning with lots of detailed charts that show how you're doing. Plus, as you use the site, you earn points and get Learning Stars -a fun reward for reading and learning!

Now you can easily get your students involved in their learning: let them select the text that interests them. Let them print and complete the activities with which they're most comfortable. Imagine each student learning vocabulary customized to his or her interests, while you have time to teach instead of typing. Could differentiation by interest or readiness be any easier? You can start doing it today, for free.

You never have to type another vocabulary list or quiz again.

Type (or copy-paste) in any block of text in the yellow box at the top of this page, click Rewordify text, and click the Print/Learning activities button. Here's how. You (or your students!) can select from a rich variety of quizzes and learning activities, with or without answer keys.

Do you need to teach (or not teach) particular vocabulary words and phrases? Rewordify.com gives you the exact control you need for specialized vocabulary instruction. You can make customized word lists so the site rewords and teaches any word or phrase exactly the way you want.

Learn the way you want-from what you want to read. You can change the way the site works to fit your learning style as you read and learn from almost any text passage or web page. See the different highlighting styles in the box? You can pick any of them, and lots more options. Click the Settings link (at the bottom of the page now, or at the top of any page) to see all the choices you have. (The demo text in the box here never changes.)

Chart your progress and have fun. You can keep track of your learning with lots of detailed charts that show how you're doing. Plus, as you use the site, you earn points and get Learning Stars -a fun reward for reading and learning!

Now you can easily get your students involved in their learning: let them select the text that interests them. Let them print and complete the activities with which they're most comfortable. Imagine each student learning vocabulary customized to his or her interests, while you have time to teach instead of typing. Could differentiation by interest or readiness be any easier? You can start doing it today, for free.

Save all your documents online so anyone can read them and learn from them at any time.

Just log in, rewordify something, and click the Share button.

Select how public or private you want the document, enter the title, author, etc., and you're done!

You get a link that you can put in your online lesson plans, teacher web pages, or blog. No more rewordifying the same thing over and over again!

You can view, manage and edit all your documents from any computer. Just log in (or create a free, safe account) and start building your learning library. Here's how to do it.

At Educator Central, you can create and manage student accounts, monitor your students' learning, and get detailed reading and learning analytics that help you make smart classroom decisions. For free. Now.
(In a hurry? Log in. Click Educator Central at the top.)

In a few minutes, you can create student accounts on Rewordify.com, and easily monitor your students' reading and learning progress. Get actionable learning and error analytics as your students read and learn from any document you post, or from any document or web page they want to read.

Imagine each student learning different words based on his or her interest or ability level. It's easy to do: Rewordify.com designs and teaches individualized vocabulary lessons with our highly effective Learning Sessions, so you have the time to teach students the important stuff: how to learn, how to break through obstacles, how to believe the words "I can do it."

As your students read and learn, get detailed charts and reports that tell you what you need to know-by student, by class, or for all your classes.

Effectively match interventions with students, based on detailed error breakdowns that let you see what you need to see in a few clicks.

Student accounts are anonymous, and they keep your students safe and focused on learning.

Start using it now: Log in and click on Educator Central at the top. Read more about Educator Central.

Rewordify.com is free online software. You're using it now. There's nothing to buy or install. It works on any computer, tablet, or smartphone. Just point your browser to Rewordify.com and start reading and learning. Yes, it's tablet-friendly-no mouse needed. Yes, your whole school district can create teacher and student accounts, without entering any personal information. When? Now.

It's fast. Wasting your (and your students' time) is bad. That's why Rewordify.com was designed from the ground up to be lightning-fast and use very little data. The site doesn't have a hundred images of puppies and kittens and a hundred links to a hundred lists. What it does have is speed and ease of use, which are very nice when you have to teach a room full of teenagers. Or adults.

It's an app. Want the app? You're using it. Wasn't that easy? The site is a web app, which is great for you, because you get almost-daily site updates automatically -so you can read and learn, not download and install app updates.

We keep kids safe online. Rewordify.com requires no personal information. Student accounts are completely anonymous and cannot post or share anything. Read more about how we protect children's privacy.

Rewordify.com can display simplified versions of web pages. Our state-of-the-art web filtering technology blocks millions of inappropriate sites and questionable language, to protect kids online and keep them reading only what they should be reading. Read more about how we protect children from inappropriate material.

Difficult English is intelligently simplified with our exclusive Rewordifying Engine

Saves time when reading hard text, improves comprehension and self-confidence, and increases total reading time

Copy-paste entire text passages into the yellow box and press Rewordify text. You'll see a simplified version. Read more.

Definitions are easy to understand, context-aware, and match verb tense and part of speech

Reduces frustration and improves comprehension by maximizing time spent reading versus dictionary research

Copy-paste any text passage into the yellow box and "rewordify" it. Click the highlighted words. Read more.

Learning Sessions actively teach individualized vocabulary lessons with research-proven multimodal techniques

Improves vocabulary and word retention

After you "rewordify" text, you'll see a purple bar at the top. Click the buttons to pick hard words and learn them in an effective Learning Session. Read more.

Site carefully monitors student reading time, learning progress, and learning errors, and gives educators full-color, real-time charts and reports

Gives actionable learning data that helps improve student learning outcomes

Create an account. Click on Educator Central. Create free student accounts. Post assignments online. Get learning data. Make smart classroom decisions based on valid data. Read more.

Site identifies and extracts over 58,000 difficult words and phrases from any text and creates a rich variety of learning activities with answer keys

Saves time when teaching and gives students individualized learning activities

Copy-paste any text passage into the yellow box and "rewordify" it. Click Print/Learning Activities. Pick the quizzes, activities, vocab lists, cloze activities you want, with keys. Print them. Read more.

Software allows users to change the difficulty level and presentation style of the output text

Improves engagement by allowing easy differentiation by learning style and readiness

Copy-paste any text passage and "rewordify" it. Click Settings. Change the text presentation style, "rewordifying level" (difficulty level), even the highlighting style. Read more.

Site works as an app on any device, using a minimum of data

Allows for easy district rollout on nearly any existing device while conserving Internet bandwith

Point any device's browser to Rewordify.com and it works like an app. Here's how to make an app icon on your home screen or desktop.

Site calculates accurate text complexity measures, including our exclusive READ score

Improves engagement and learning through the selection of appropriate reading materials

Rewordify any text passage. Click the Stats button. Read more.

Site's browser app (bookmarklet) extracts most web pages to Rewordify.com for learning in one click

Improves engagement and total reading time through independent selection of high-interest materials

Install our free browser app. Browse the web. At any page, click the "Rewordify text" button. Read the extracted text on Rewordify.com.

You can post any document and share it publicly, privately, or with a password

Increases reading time and organization of learning materials

Log in. Paste in a document and "rewordify" it. Click the Share button, share it, and get a link. Post the link to your teacher page. Or, add it as a Rewordify.com assignment. Here's how to post documents. Here's how to create assignments.

Site calculates points and displays Learning Stars based on total minutes read and words learned

Increases reading time and engagement by making the site more fun

Log in and start reading and clicking on the purple bar to do Learning Sessions. Points and Learning Stars will display. Click My Learning/My Documents to see charts of your progress. Read more.

Over 300 pieces of classic literature are available

Improves comprehension of the classics-from Shakespeare to Douglass to Austen

Click Classic literature at the top. Or, type a word like Frankenstein into the search box at the top.

Here's what to do next:

First, do the demo. You'll be an expert in five minutes: Click here for the demo.

Learn the site, step by step. Our First-Time User Guide clearly shows you how to get started.

Teachers: Learn about Educator Central and all it can do to help improve student learning outcomes. Also, you can print lots of free, full-color literature to help you get started in the classroom.

Have some fun. Are you up for a vocabulary challenge? Play Rewordo. Be aware: it's not easy.

Browse some classics. Want to be more sure of Shakespeare, or brush up on Bronte? Scroll to the top, and click the Classic Literature link. It's a fast way to get started using the site. Or, use the Search bar at the top. Try entering the word raven to understand the deal with Poe, that black bird, and the "Nevermore" thing.

Check out the goodies. You can install our One-Click Learning browser applet that lets you rewordify most web pages in one click. Our cool (and free, of course) School Clock tells you the current time and date, what class period you're currently in, countdowns to the next period, and more. You can customize it for any school's schedule, and make as many different School Clocks as you have different day schedules. Use it now.

Show the love! Please tell us about mistakes the site makes when "rewording" and defining words. That feedback is the single most valuable thing you can do to help the site (and learners around the world). Click here to contact us. Do you want to help defray the site's operating costs, and read a great thriller at the same time? You can! Get your copy of Electric Dawn.

Contact us. We want to help you! Please use the Contact page with any questions or comments.

Site summary: Rewordify.com helps with reading comprehension and vocabulary development by simplifying English to a lower reading level. It lets you reword a sentence or reword a paragraph. It will simplify English by reducing text complexity. It's a dictionary alternative that will improve comprehension and teach vocabulary. It's an important part of reading instruction and vocabulary instruction for ESL students, people with reading disabilities, people with a learning disability, or anyone who wants to improve reading skill.

35650 / 9.0

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Rewordify.com | Understand what you read

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Rewordify.com helps you read more, understand better, learn new words, and teach more effectively.

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Check out pg. 19 & 20 for the Go To Strategies Matrix.  The rest of the document offers further explanations.  Very useful to share with staff.

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Elizabeth Roberts, M.A.T.

Many co-teachers are faced with the challenge of finding uninterrupted time to plan lessons for their inclusive classrooms. Demanding schedules, lack of support and a "to-do" list a mile long all interfere with the ability of co-teachers to meet and to plan together on a regular basis. When co-teachers are fortunate enough to have a common planning time, or to have carved out personal time to meet on their own, they must maximize the use of those precious minutes. So the question is, how can co-teachers ensure effective use of planning time? Keep reading for some tricks and tips on how to get the most out of your time together!

Commitment to developing a strong bond with your co-teacher will positively increase your classroom interactions, which in turn will benefit the students you serve.

One of the easiest ways to utilize this time is to plan ahead. Make notes about discussion topics and concerns before the actual meeting. Do this as your days or weeks progress so that you are sure to plan for real-life situations.

Next, make sure you understand your roles and responsibilities. For example, if you are responsible for curriculum mapping, make sure your tasks are completed related to this before you meet with your co-teacher. At a seminar hosted by Marilyn Friend, Ph.D., a professor in the Special Education Department at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she took time to identify what each educator in a co-teaching team should be responsible for during these ever-so-important planning meetings. She believes that the general education teacher should bring the scope and sequence, or pacing guide, and decide what content should be delivered. Together, you two as co-teachers determine the instructional methods for delivery. Will you parallel teach, station teach or team teach? Lastly, the special educator makes any individual adjustments that are necessary to meet the needs of the diverse learners (Friend, 2004).

Have resources, ideas and other materials readily available during your meeting. Reviewing past meeting notes and lessons may also help you determine what will be important to bring to the planning session.

When planning together it is also important to create patterns and routines. First, set the stage by reviewing the past week's lessons and assessments. This allows for opportunities to reflect and celebrate successes. It is also a nice transition into a discussion concerning the upcoming week's topics and content.

Next, discuss the "big picture" for the coming week by determining what objectives need to be the focus. Determine the instructional delivery methods and make individual adjustments. After next week's lessons are planned, discuss issues specific to instruction. These issues might include an upcoming test or grading requirements.

Additionally, it may be necessary to discuss individual student matters such as a parent phone call or IEP meeting. Schoolwide issues should be discussed, but only as they relate to the two of you as co-teachers (Walther-Thomas, Korinek, McLaughlin, & Williams, 2000).

It is also important to document all issues that are discussed. Written plans ensure each of you understands the details of the upcoming lessons and knows which tasks are your responsibilities to complete. Make sure that you both have copies of these notes, as well as the instructional lesson plans that are developed. When tasks and responsibilities are not recorded, confusion can occur and necessary items may not be ready for the upcoming lesson (Walther-Thomas, et al., 2000).

It is important when planning together to create patterns in your daily lesson plans. If you both know what to expect each class period there will be fewer items to discuss during your weekly planning session. This also allows for bumps in the road with scheduling. For example, if something comes up one week and the two of you cannot meet, classroom patterns that are already established will help the class run smoother.

When planning with your co-teacher it is important to remember that business comes first. Sticking to this philosophy ensures that all tasks get accomplished and lessons are well prepared. In the long run this will ease everyone's stress level. At the end of your planning session, make time to build a relationship with your co-teacher. Chats about your upcoming weekend or family will help you learn about your partner and their interests outside school. Commitment to developing a strong bond with your co-teacher will positively increase your classroom interactions, which in turn will benefit the students you serve.
References
Friend, M. (2004, June). Inclusive practices. Paper presented at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Summer Institute, Charlotte, N.C.

Walther-Thomas, C., Korinek, L., McLaughlin, V., & Williams, B. (2000). Collaboration for inclusive education: Developing successful programs. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

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Find time to effectively plan with your co-teacher

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Elizabeth Roberts, M.A.T. Many co-teachers are faced with the challenge of finding uninterrupted time to plan lessons for their inclusive classrooms. Demanding schedules, lack of support and a "to-do" list a mile long all interfere with the ability of co-teachers to meet and to plan together on a regular basis.

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If you just started your new school year with a new co-teacher, congratulations. Over the next year, you're going to be:

1. creating an awesome partnership that makes the most of both your skills, and

2. spending a LOT of time together to make it happen.

Co-teaching experts Elizabeth Potts and Lori Howard put it this way: If you co-teach for just 50 minutes a day, that's 125 hours you'll be spending together this year-not including the time you'll block off for planning, conferencing, ironing out kinks, and figuring out how to help Jimmy and Maya work toward their (very different) IEP goals.

You two don't have to be Superfriends-or best friends-but starting off on the right foot helps. So today, let's look at some key questions you can answer together to jumpstart your first team meetings. These are from Potts & Howard's and they'll help you get to know each other better, reach consensus on your classroom logistics and policies, and plan ways to communicate throughout the school year. (At the end of this post, you can download the questions as a handout for easy reference.)

Start your conversation

As Potts & Howard point out, your first conversations as co-teachers tend to set the tone for your whole relationship. Hold an informal get-to-know-you meeting away from school grounds-grab coffee together or have dessert in a café with a nice quiet atmosphere. Tell her your story and listen to hers. Talk about your teaching background, your past experiences, your outside interests, and any parts of your personal life that might help explain what you bring to the co-teaching equation. Ask questions like these:

How did you come to be a teacher? What drew you to this grade or discipline?

What do you think is most important for me to know about you?

What are your interests outside of teaching? What do you do in your spare time?

How long have you been at this school?

Are we comfortable calling each other at home?

A casual, friendly get-together will help you understand each other better and recognize each other's personal boundaries (some value close friendships with their co-teachers, while others prefer a bolder line between their personal and professional lives). This way, you'll already have a feel for where your partner's coming from and how to relate to her when challenges arise.

Work out classroom logistics

If you haven't already, meet to discuss the nuts and bolts of your classroom-everything from the physical arrangement of desks to the establishment of class routines. Here are some questions to explore as a team:

How will we arrange our classroom to support our instruction? Will desks be arranged in a row, a circle, or groups? Where will supplies and centers be located?

What will the flow of our class period look like?

What models of co-teaching are we comfortable with right now? Are we comfortable with expanding our horizons and using other models?

What roles will we play in the classroom? How do we coordinate our efforts to help the entire class succeed?

How will we decide on and establish routines and rules in the classroom?

What happens when one of us takes a sick day?

Nail down your classroom management policies

When you've established the setup of your classroom and the roles each of you will play, make sure you're on the same page with classroom management and behavior support. Consider these questions:

What will our specific policies be for gum, food, and drink in class?

What will students be expected to have in front of them (e.g., pencil sharpened, paper out, book out, warm-up activity complete) when the bell rings?

How will we manage and monitor behavior?

What will consequences be for inappropriate behavior?

How will we project that we are both classroom leaders?

Decide how you'll communicate

Consistent, respectful, and effective communication is the engine that keeps your co-teaching relationship humming along. In your planning meeting, discuss when and how you prefer to communicate. Decide what methods you're both comfortable with-do you prefer face-to-face interactions and handwritten notes, or do you swear by texting and apps that help keep your messages organized? Make sure you have a plan for communicating important information to parents and students, too.

Here are some questions you might want to cover:

What will our regular schedule be for detailed planning or discussions?

How is it best to get last-minute information to each other?

What technology will we use to communicate? Email? Apps? Telephone calls at home?

How will we communicate our policies to the students?

How will we interact with parents? As a team? Separately? As requests come in?

How will we deal with and communicate issues such as students who are not performing well or need extra help?

How will we avoid students asking one of us a question, then going to the other if they do not like the first answer?

On what kinds of decisions should we always consult each other?

What kinds of things should we each handle independently?

***

These questions are just a first step toward building your ideal co-teaching partnership. Teaching together is an art that takes practice and lots of trial and error. But if you get on the same page early, your partnership-and your new school year-will be off to a strong start.

Download these 25 questions as a handout, and keep them at your fingertips to help guide the first meetings with your teaching partner.

Learn more essential co-teaching strategies in

What do you think? What's the most important ingredient of a successful co-teaching partnership? Have your say in the comments below!

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25 Questions for NEW Co-Teachers to Answer Together

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If you just started your new school year with a new co-teacher, congratulations. Over the next year, you're going to be: creating an awesome partnership that makes the most of both your skills, and spending a LOT of time together to make it happen.

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Impossible. That was my first thought when I saw the class roster. In one of my ninth grade English classes, 13 of my 27 students had IEPs. Additionally, about one-third of the students had failed the class the previous year. I dreaded the first day of school. But then something wonderful happened: The principal assigned me a co-teacher, a special education expert to serve as another set of hands (and eyes and ears!) during this class every day. I was thrilled.

My co-teacher Sandie was a joy to collaborate with, but our relationship was by no means perfect, especially at the beginning. We often struggled to find planning time. Sometimes we disagreed about how to best help a particular student. However, we nurtured the co-teaching relationship and, in time, found a rhythm that worked for us-and for the students we served.

In the years since I co-taught with Sandie and other teachers, I've coached and consulted with dozens of successful and not-so-successful teams. Co-teaching, when done well, offers benefits for both students and teachers. When not done well, it can be confusing or downright frustrating for all involved. If you are or will be part of a co-teaching partnership, this post will show you some ways to make your partnership work beautifully.

What is Co-Teaching?

In a co-teaching relationship, also known as a "push-in" arrangement, a general education teacher partners with a specialist who may be certified in teaching English Language Learners (ELLs), students with learning disabilities, or some other special population. A co-teaching team works in the general ed classroom; for the majority of the time, students with special needs are not pulled out to receive services in another location.

For instance, a middle school social studies teacher may have an ELL teacher co-teaching with him during one class period because five students in that class are newcomers to the United States and speak only Arabic fluently. A high school teacher may have one or two sections of biology to which many students with IEPs for reading are channeled; a co-teacher who specializes in reading disabilities co-teaches in these classes. A 4th grade teacher may have two students with 504 plans and another three who have specific learning disabilities in her class; she works alongside a special education teacher daily during lessons in the four core academic subject areas.

For more background, download this Brief History of Co-Teaching.

Co-Teaching Structures

General education teachers working with specialists in a "push-in" model often work in one of the following structures described by Friend and Cook (1996):

One teach, one observe: One teacher delivers instruction while the other observes student learning. Usually the observer collects data on student understanding so that the co-teaching team can better plan future instruction. Sometimes, specific students are watched closely so that the teachers can determine new strategies to use with them.

One teach, one assist: One teacher takes the lead in providing instruction while the other moves around the classroom, assisting struggling students. This help is not limited to students with special needs; the assisting professional is there to serve whomever needs support.

Parallel teaching: The class is divided in two groups and the same material is presented simultaneously by both teachers. The teachers plan the two groups deliberately to maximize the success of all students; this is not simply a "pull-out" or intervention group sitting in the same room.

Station teaching: Both teachers are actively involved in instruction as students are divided into groups and rotate from one station to the next. There may be stations where students work independently or with a paraprofessional in addition to the two stations the co-teachers facilitate.

Alternative teaching: One teacher takes a small group of students and provides them more intensive or specialized instruction that is different than what the large group receives from the other teacher.

Team teaching: Both teachers teach the content at the same time in tandem or "tag team" fashion.

It is important to note that both teachers have equal status and equal responsibility in all six of these arrangements. In the co-teaching relationships that work best, at no time is one teacher seen as subordinate to the other. Both professionals are credentialed professionals, although each may have his or her specific areas of expertise.

How to Make the Most of a Co-Teaching Partnership

Researchers and practitioners have tons of advice about how to co-teach effectively, and as a person who has been "in the trenches" with several different co-teachers, so do I. The advice below sums up the most common recommendations.

1. Respect each other.

Not surprisingly, mutual respect is critical to the co-teaching relationship. You'll have to share ideas openly and do much of your work facing students together, so respecting each other is paramount. Sometimes you'll disagree, and that's to be expected. As co-teacher and ELL specialist Melissa Eddington says, it's fine to disagree with someone's ideas, but don't make the disagreement about the person.

Teachers in co-teaching situations that don't work well often report feeling disrespected. Amy* is an ELL specialist paired with a middle school social studies teacher. When they collaborate, Amy feels her suggestions for tweaking whole-class lessons are not taken seriously by her partner. "She respects me as a professional," Amy says of her co-teacher, "but I think because I'm not experienced in her content, she doesn't see my input as valuable."

Susan*, who is licensed in both secondary science and learning disabilities, works with two physical science teachers and one biology teacher. The physical science teachers welcome her ideas and eagerly adjust their lessons based on her suggestions. They are seeing a steady increase of students mastering the required standards in the classes Susan supports. The biology teacher, however, dismisses many of Susan's ideas and accuses her of "dumbing down" his content. Susan feels disrespected and finds it hard to even be in the room with the biology teacher because he constantly positions himself as "the expert" and places her in a subordinate role.

Words and gestures speak volumes. Take care to show respect for your partner in all you do.

2. Clearly define roles and responsibilities.

Co-teaching works better when the partners agree on who does what, when. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities prevent either partner from feeling the other has overstepped a boundary or shirked responsibilities.

Natalie Marston (2002-2015), an elementary special ed teacher, recommends co-teachers reach agreement on scheduling, classroom procedures and behaviors, classwork and homework policies, grading, and school/home communication together so they present a united front at all times.

Obviously this type of planning requires a great deal of time, ideally before school starts. If extended time is not available prior to the beginning of the school year, then the co-teaching team should expect to put in extra hours before and after school in the first few weeks so things get off to a good start.

My co-teacher Sandie and I did not have advance warning of our assignment. We found out about it on the first teacher workday, leaving us only a few days before the students arrived. For weeks, we both felt like we were playing "catch up and keep up," but found that having lunch together (and some happy hours together) helped us stay in sync.

3. Be flexible.

Innovation is difficult. That's why so many teachers find themselves falling back on comfortable (and even tired) activities and strategies. Co-teaching allows you to gain another person's perspective on how instruction might be improved, how students might be best assessed, what resources to use, and so much more. Sometimes this means one person has to put aside his or her favorite tried-and-true strategy and try something different.

When Susan suggested a tactile, quiz-like method for reviewing the periodic table to her physical science co-teaching partners, they were skeptical about the time and materials it might require. They initially felt it would be more efficient to simply give additional notes to their students and then pair students to quiz each other. However, they agreed to try the review Susan's way. The students loved the activity, and almost every student with special needs passed the chapter test two days later. All three teachers were thrilled and committed to using the activity in future years.

4. Plan together.

The co-teaching relationship brings together two people with wonderfully rich expertise and experiences. Special educators are typically skilled in individualizing curriculum and instruction based on children's needs (Dettmer et al., 2005; Volonino & Zigmond, 2007). General educators, on the other hand, tend to have broad knowledge of the curriculum, standards, and desired outcomes for the larger group. Therefore, when general educators plan lessons, they tend to aim for the masses (Dettmer et al., 2005). Both perspectives are important, and co-teaching teams need ample planning time to work through how to best utilize each one.

Lack of planning time can lead to territorialism. Without time to plan for a good balance of content and individualization, a general ed teacher may become protective of his subject matter, or a specialist may become protective of his students. Emma*, a high school special ed teacher partnered with two geometry teachers, has experienced this. One teacher often asks Emma to pull aside the five or six students with specific disabilities within his class and work only with them. He sometimes says to her, "You worry about your kids. I'll worry about geometry." The principal is now providing an additional hour of planning time for Emma and this teacher. An assistant principal who oversees the math department facilitates the meetings so Emma feels supported and the geometry teacher has another content-area expert to hash things out with.

Keep in mind that planning must include both instruction and assessment. Considering many students with special needs have legal accommodations for assessment (like being provided translation, extended time, or oral reading), it's best to include both partners fully in designing quizzes, tests, papers, and other high-stakes assessment tasks.

How much time is ideal? One study found that co-teachers desired, on average, 15 minutes to an hour each day for planning (Dieker & Murawski, 2003). This figure corresponds to what worked for my co-teacher and me, and it also confirms what I hear from many co-teachers in the field. Strive to find that time any way you can.

5. Don't take yourself too seriously.

Innovation requires failure. Many times, teachers feel they've failed somehow during instruction, and in reality, the students haven't even noticed. We are often our own worst critics. Revisiting or correcting something later in the day (or the next day) doesn't mean you failed earlier. It means you've learned something since. This is the kind of ongoing learning we want to model for our students.

And, as in most situations in life, a little bit of humor goes a long way. Laugh with your co-teacher. Allow students to see both of you laughing with each other and with them when something is surprising, silly, or just doesn't go the way you planned. In the words of Jennifer Wolf who co-teaches with Melissa Eddington, "Take the work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously."

Eddington adds, "You gotta laugh at each other! Our job is hard, and if you're not laughing and making light of some things, then it's just not going to be a good place to be."

6. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Planning time is one thing; constant communication is another. Not only should co-teachers frequently plan for what standards will be covered, how material will be taught, and how students will be assessed, they should also regularly communicate in less formal ways.

Co-teaching teams have different methods to create and sustain that communication:

Eddington and Wolf use the Voxer app throughout the school day and on their drives home to send messages back and forth. Voxer works like a walkie-talkie and allows back-and-forth conversation in real time when two people are not physically close to each other. Melissa says, "We're constantly communicating. We're talking about specific students. We're looking at assessments to see what areas are lacking...different things we want to bring to the classroom, things we don't want to do..."

Some other teams I've worked with use texting and emails throughout each day to share updates. Voxer, texts, and emails can all work well, especially if one teacher has urgent information or an urgent question about a particular student.

Teams can use Google Docs or other shared documents to keep track of lesson planning and to share feedback with each other on how lessons went. Collaborative documents can also be used to provide each other with information about targeted students.

In addition to ongoing communication, Ariel Sacks (2014) reminds us to periodically check in with our co-teacher about how we are doing in general. She recommends asking your partner the following:

Are there management items we should clarify, such as when are students allowed to go to the bathroom?

Are we sharing airtime well?

Are we dividing grading in an equitable way?

Would different teaching formats better utilize the two of us in the classroom?

Finally, co-teachers need to present a united front when dealing with parents. Some partners go as far as to create a shared email address from which all communication flows. This may or may not be practical in your situation. At the very least, important parent communication about a student's progress should be drafted by both parties.

For more in-depth information about communicating and collaborating with your co-teacher, see Communicating and Collaborating in Co-Taught Classrooms (Conderman et al., 2009).

7. Seek administrative support.

Sometimes, teachers have been scheduled to co-teach by administrators but didn't have much advance notice. This is what happened with Sandie and me. We were able to find snippets of time during the school day to use for planning and checking in with each other, but we had no common planning period. If you and your partner don't have a common planning time when you can frequently collaborate, ask for it. Go to your principal with a couple of proposals about how this can work without too much disruption to the rest of the schedule.

Sometimes co-teachers may not understand fully why they are being asked to team. If this is the case, ask for a meeting with the principal and any others responsible for the assignment. Ask them why they thought the two of you would be a good fit and what they hope you will accomplish with students.

If you're already in a co-teaching partnership that's not working well, and you've tried to address this with your partner, turn to a trusted administrator next for advice. If you and your co-teacher have not recently been observed, ask the administrator to come sit in on part of a lesson. Tell him or her what you'd like feedback on or what feels like it's not working well. Debrief with the administrator, ideally with your co-teaching partner. When an observer offers data and feedback to both of you, it may feel different for your partner than when you share things from your perspective. (This co-teaching observation form can help.)

It's important not to go to other teachers with your concerns. Respect the collegial relationship you have with your co-teacher and don't do anything that might undermine it. And it should go without saying that you don't want students to perceive any problems within the co-teaching relationship. Be cognizant of your demeanor, tone, and body language. Students are quite perceptive and can easily spot trouble. They are also experts at "good cop/bad cop." Don't let students play you and your partner against each other. If your colleagues or students give you any evidence that they know the co-teaching arrangement is ineffective, head straight for that trusted administrator to support you. ♦

*These names have been changed.
References:
Conderman, G., Johnston-Rodriguez, S., & Hartman, P. (2009). Communicating and collaborating in co-taught classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus,5(5). Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ967751.pdf

Dettmer, P., Thurston, L., Knackendoffel, A., & Dyck, N. (2009). Collaboration, consultation, and teamwork (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson.

Dieker, Lisa A., Murawski, W. M. (2003). "Co-teaching at the Secondary Level: Unique Issues, Current Trends, and Suggestions for Success." The High School Journal, 86(4). Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220220652/13494E2D48D1DB506F0/8

Friend, M. & Cook, L. (1996). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Marston, N. (2002-2015). Six steps to successful co-teaching: Helping special and regular education teachers work together. National Education Association. Retrieved January 26, 2017 from http://www.nea.org/tools/6-steps-to-successful-co-teaching.html

Sacks, A. (2014, October 15). Blog post. Eight tips for making the most of co-teaching. Retrieved January 26, 2017, from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/15/ctq_sacks_coteaching.html

Volonino, V. & Zigmond, N. (2007). Promoting research-based practices through inclusion. Theory into Practice, 46(4), 291-300.

Learn More

Angela Peery is the author of The Co-Teacher's Playbook, which will be available in September 2019.

Links to this book are Amazon Affiliate links. Cult of Pedagogy gets a small commission for all purchases made through these links.

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When done well, co-teaching offers benefits for both students and teachers. When not done well, it can be confusing or downright frustrating for all involved.

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A website created by a former colleague with a ton of ELL resources

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Do you sometimes feel like you are being asked to do the impossible? Teach 'em academic English language, cover the content, get ready for high stakes tests - and do it all with limited time and resources. More Than English is my ongoing collection of resources and strategies that have worked the best for me. Teachers - ESL and mainstream - can use these tools to teach both language When we work together, we are all powerful! Go to my blog, Loosely Speaking, for updated strategies, resources, suggestions, and opinions. My most recent post is 10 Offers of Wisdom from Fictional Characters - Give the Gift of Reading. and content to all English Language Learners (ELLs) in grades K-12. ESL teachers need to be familiar with content area standards and mainstream teachers need to understand and support English Language Development (ELD).

Who are our students?

While over 100 languages are represented, the majority of ELLs in the United States come from Spanish speaking families. Most of our students were born in the US to parents whose first language is not English. We have also seen a recent influx of non-English speaking immigrants. Students and the teachers alike are struggling to survive. Newcomers need basic communication skills (BICs) , teachers need effective strategies, and all students need to gain academic language proficiency (CALPS) more quickly so they aren't stuck in the LTELL (Long Term English Language Learner) quagmire.

To teach English learners effectively, it helps to know how a language is learned and/or acquired. This is a quick introduction for classroom teachers with no specific training in teaching English to speakers of other languages. For a more detailed presentation, read Language Acquisition: An Overview by Kristina Robertson and Karen Ford.

So how do we accelerate language acquisition?

There are quite a few factors that affect Second Language Acquisition (SLA):

We only have control over the last factor - quality of instruction. Marzano and others have conducted research that indicates that the most important factor in a student's success in school is the teacher. Whether or not our students are ELLs, we have to take into account all the factors - social, economic, and personal - that affect their ability to learn and succeed in school. But we can't change them. As a colleague once told me, "The parents are sending us what they have. They aren't keeping the best ones at home."

The following resources and strategies for teaching ELLs are the ones I have found the most effective over the years. I hope they help you meet the challenge of accelerating language acquisition for your ELLS - short term, long term, and newcomers.

ELD standards Standards developed by WIDA for English Language Development in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing

Common Core Standards Common Core Standards for ELA and Math with resources specifically designed to teach these standards. These standards are demanding but they can be taught to students at all levels of English language proficiency with the appropriate corresponding strategies.

Essential Standards Standards developed by North Carolina for the other content areas

Bloom's Revised Taxonomy In this rapidly changing world we must work to develop higher level thinking skills in our students, regardless of language proficiency. Andy Griffith knew this.

So did Harry Potter.

Tools, templates, and vocabulary lists to help you combine content and language objectives in your classes. The World Depends on Them!

An historical overview of major court decisions and legislation, and how they guide instruction, plus information on immigration reform

Research based suggestions on how to determine if a struggling ELL also has a learning disability

Handy tools for everyone, not just ESL teachers

A handful of my favorite sites

My take on current issues, challenges, and strategies for teaching content and language to ELLs

Padres de Familia: Information in Spanish for parents to empower greater involvement in their child's education

Bilingual Letters and Forms

I continue to add new finds to this site so if you would like to be updated automatically, enter your email at the upper right and "subscribe." I welcome suggestions for other resources to be included in this site. Please use my contact form or email me directly at jessicaloose.obx@gmail.com.

Jessica Loose - MsED TESOL, Reading Specialist, Curriculum Specialist

photo credit: Eve Turek, Yellowhouse Gallery, Nags Head, NC

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More Than English: Teaching Language & Content to ELLs

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Do you sometimes feel like you are being asked to do the impossible? Teach 'em academic English language, cover the content, get ready for high stakes tests - and do it all with limited time and resources. More Than English is my ongoing collection of resources and strategies that have worked the best for me.

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You can email me if you can't find these
rsova@thschool.edu.vn

Grades, P. (2015). Developing Biliteracy With Intentional Support: Using Interactive Word Walls and Paired Learning, (September).

Jackson, B. Y. J., Wise, E., Zurbuchen, K., & Gardner, N. (2006). Interactive word walls : Visual scaffolds that transform vocabulary instruction, (Graves), 72–80.

Wingate, K. O. K., Rutledge, V. C., & Johnston, L. (2014). Walls for Your Classroom.

Jackson, J., Tripp, S., & Cox, K. (2011). Interactive Word Walls: Transforming Content Vocabulary Instruction. Science Scope, 35(3), 45–49.

Wall, W. (2018). Word wall examples, (January), 1–71.

Salinas-Gonzalez, I., Arreguin-Anderson, M. G., & Alanís, I. (2015). Classroom Labels That Young Children Can Use: Enhancing Biliteracy Development in a Dual Language Classroom. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 43(1), 25–32. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy.lib.umn.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=eric&AN=EJ1060312&site=ehost-live%0Ahttp://www.southernearlychildhood.org/publications.php

Vintinner, J. P., Harmon, J., Wood, K., & Stover, K. (2015). Inquiry into the Efficacy of Interactive Word Walls with Older Adolescent Learners. The High School Journal, 98(3), 250–261. https://doi.org/10.1353/hsj.2015.0007

Jackson, J., & Durham, A. (2016). Methods & Strategies: Put Your Walls to Work. Science and Children, 54(3), 78–84. Retrieved from http://proxy.libraries.smu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1119294&site=ehost-live&scope=site%0Ahttp://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/4/sc16_054_03_78

Jackson, J. (2011). Interactive Word Walls. Science Scope, 35(3), 45–49. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.deakin.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=525575975&site=ehost-live&scope=site