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At the International School of Uganda, professional learning has been focused on inclusion and agency over the last few years. The faculty recognized that agency demands a curriculum and pedagogy that represents and honours diversity and personalised learning, and that this could be achieved with greater success through co-teaching. We recognised that co-teaching required a major shift in structures and attitudes, and that change takes time and requires a sensitive and thoughtful approach.

As the Primary Years Programme (PYP) coordinator, I wanted to understand how the teachers in the Junior School felt about co-teaching so that I could support them better. I came up with some research questions: What do teachers think about co-teaching? What are the benefits and challenges? How can we support teachers in adopting co-teaching and evaluate its effectiveness? I created a questionnaire that allowed teachers to share their thoughts openly, and I also held informal focus group sessions. The data we collected gave us valuable insights.

"You can collaborate without co-teaching, but you can't co-teach without collaboration."

Although teachers had their own definitions of co-teaching, some common ideas emerged. They agreed that co-teaching involves having more than one teacher responsible for planning, teaching, and assessing the same group of students. Collaboration was mentioned by some teachers, but we discussed that co-teaching and collaboration are not the same. One teacher summed it up by saying, "You can collaborate without co-teaching, but you can't co-teach without collaboration." We talked about different models of co-teaching and how it can vary based on the needs of students. Most teachers had positive feelings about co-teaching but also found it challenging. They said things like:

"It's a powerful tool,"

"It's so much fun,"

"I wouldn't want to teach any other way."

Teachers saw many benefits in co-teaching. They mentioned increased differentiation and more personalized learning opportunities. They believed that co-teaching allowed for better quality and a greater variety of learning experiences because it brought together different ideas, resources, and spaces. One teacher wrote:

"Children benefit greatly from experiencing the unique strengths, talents, and personalities of multiple teachers. When we work together, with more differentiation, we come closer to excellence."

Teachers also recognized the professional growth that comes from co-teaching and the ability to share ideas, strategies, reflections, and perspectives. They saw how co-teachers could model collaboration and problem-solving for students, and they felt a sense of increased accountability.

However, some challenges were mentioned. Teachers talked about misalignment in values, insecurities, and a lack of trust as potential hurdles. They also pointed out the difficulty when one teacher is disengaged or dominant, leading to an imbalance of power or workload. One teacher shared:

"For some people, co-teaching is just not possible. They don't have the personality or skills to work with another person in a teaching environment."

We also heard concerns about commitment and open-mindedness from adults, leading to personality clashes and power struggles.

To support co-teaching, teachers suggested three strategies:

1. Having a clear vision and expectations from the beginning of the school year. Building trust and a sense of teamwork through exercises was seen as crucial. Creating a culture of collective efficacy, where everyone works together to do their best for students, was highlighted.

2. Providing dedicated planning and preparation time, with a balance between support from leadership and independent preparation.

3. Ongoing professional development focused on co-teaching was seen as essential. Many teachers mentioned their own happiness and willingness to co-teach as an indicator of team success. They also emphasized the importance of goal setting, acting/observing, and reflecting on evidence of effective co-teaching.

Based on the data collected, many teachers feel empowered by co-teaching and see great potential in its success. Once obstacles are removed and support is provided, most teachers are willing to embrace the benefits of co-teaching. It's encouraging to note that teachers don't view co-teaching as only benefiting students with additional needs but recognize it as a valuable approach for all children. They understand the importance of building relationships and creating a collaborative culture, acknowledging the challenges while embracing the opportunities to learn from one another and promote inclusion.

These findings have provided valuable insights on how I can support teams in the future. Schools need educators who are willing and skilled in providing authentic and suitable curriculum and teaching methods for all learners. To achieve inclusion, educators must offer personalized and challenging learning experiences, creating numerous opportunities for success. Collaborative practices like co-teaching offer a practical solution to support this goal. However, it requires a shift in thinking and school systems. It relies on teachers who genuinely care about every student's right to learn and who work diligently to achieve that goal. They solve problems, generate new strategies, resolve differences, and experiment with alternative solutions. If we truly value the right of every child to belong and learn, then schools must foster agency through the collective strength of teacher teams who work together diligently to achieve this shared objective .

Sarah Ssengendo is the PYP c oordinator and d eputy p rincipal at the International School of Uganda, in East Africa. She is passionate about inquiry and play-based learning and enjoys the collaborative and creative nature of contemporary education.

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Co-teaching: Collaboration for student success

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At the International School of Uganda, professional learning has been focused on inclusion and agency over the last few years. The faculty recognized that agency demands a curriculum and pedagogy that represents and honours diversity and personalised learning, and that this could be achieved with greater success through co-teaching.

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他們理解儘管人與人之間存在著差異，但他人的意見也可能是正確的。

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他們理解儘管人與人之間存在著差異，但他人的意見也可能是正確的。

# data[].attributes.headline
他人的意見也可能是正確的

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他人的意見也可能是正確的

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同理心、教育我們的學生使其懂得反思

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同理心、教育我們的學生使其懂得反思

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培養學生成為一個愛好學習者

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培養學生成為一個愛好學習者

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鼓勵世界各地的學生成長為既積極進取又富有同情心的終身學習者

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鼓勵世界各地的學生成長為既積極進取又富有同情心的終身學習者

# data[].attributes.headline
我提前圈完國語十二課的圈詞

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我提前圈完國語十二課的圈詞

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我順利完成第一場workshop 哈哈 好開心

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我順利完成第一場workshop 哈哈 好開心

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成功教孩子寫心智圖~ (他們被迫寫很多字)

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成功教孩子寫心智圖~ (他們被迫寫很多字)

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我換了新的成語教學策略，我覺得對學生更有幫助

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我換了新的成語教學策略，我覺得對學生更有幫助

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數學課使用不同活動讓學生探索出四邊形的特性

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數學課使用不同活動讓學生探索出四邊形的特性

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我設定並執行了新的班規和作業規範

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我設定並執行了新的班規和作業規範

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教他們如何摘要國語日報的文章~(之前寫的慘不忍睹)

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教他們如何摘要國語日報的文章~(之前寫的慘不忍睹)

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學生對於新設置的獎懲制度很期待

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學生對於新設置的獎懲制度很期待

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我對UOI課程很不熟悉，即使每個禮拜有grade meeting，我還是不清楚每堂課要做什麼

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我對UOI課程很不熟悉，即使每個禮拜有grade meeting，我還是不清楚每堂課要做什麼

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如何幫助毫無學習動機的小孩? 

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如何幫助毫無學習動機的小孩? 

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國語課可以使用的教學策略，像是教生字、課文理解等不同主題的時候

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國語課可以使用的教學策略，像是教生字、課文理解等不同主題的時候

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和學生的默契越來越好，學生在各項事務和任務上的動作時間都在規定內。

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和學生的默契越來越好，學生在各項事務和任務上的動作時間都在規定內。

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學生對注音還是很不熟，能認出的國字更是少之又少。

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學生對注音還是很不熟，能認出的國字更是少之又少。

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照著教材備課已經耗盡元氣，不太清楚怎麽結合UOI安排學習目標含活動。

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照著教材備課已經耗盡元氣，不太清楚怎麽結合UOI安排學習目標含活動。

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對於新老師來說要上完每一天day by day的課已經很吃力，對於要如何融入pyp的理念還是很不熟

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對於新老師來說要上完每一天day by day的課已經很吃力，對於要如何融入pyp的理念還是很不熟

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因為學生秩序不好、對自我要求很低，學習成效低落，input不進去，output因此也很弱 

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因為學生秩序不好、對自我要求很低，學習成效低落，input不進去，output因此也很弱 

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有疑似ADHD和情緒障礙的學生，很多時候無法完成和專注於課堂中的任務。

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有疑似ADHD和情緒障礙的學生，很多時候無法完成和專注於課堂中的任務。

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特殊需求+零動機學生太多，學生為問題行爲要承擔的後果無關痛癢，難以改進

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特殊需求+零動機學生太多，學生為問題行爲要承擔的後果無關痛癢，難以改進

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這是下週的討論主題，大家做個作業喔！

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這是下週的討論主題，大家做個作業喔！

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reflection wheel

3-2-1

I see I think I wonder

Traffic light

exit ticket

journal

Before I think.... Now I think.....

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課文本位閱讀理解策略教學

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課文本位閱讀理解策略教學

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課文本位閱讀理解策略教學

# data[].attributes.headline
0308 班級經營與管理

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0308 班級經營與管理

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IB teachers speak to IB World about how their classroom-management systems encourage and celebrate growth and potential, and why the student voice is key

Effective classroom-management tools are essential for creating successful learning spaces for all ages. But, working with students to develop an 'agreement' or a set of 'values' is crucial to success.

Two IB educators share with IB World how their new classroom-management techniques inspire students to become the best version of themselves and give them a sense of ownership in how their class culture is developed.

The Pygmalion Effect and positive expectations

The idea of 'self-fulfilling' prophecies and positive expectations has a long history. For example, researchers Rosenthal and Jacobson found that teacher expectations influence student performance after their experiment at an elementary school in 1968.

For the experiment, students took intelligence tests, but researchers gave teachers the names of 20 per cent of students who were showing "unusual potential for intellectual growth" and would bloom academically within the year. Unknown to the teachers, these students were randomly selected with no relation to the initial test.

When students were tested eight months later, they discovered that the randomly selected students scored significantly higher.

They called this the 'Pygmalion Effect'. The experiment highlights the powerful role a teacher plays in setting classroom expectations and how they impact on student engagement and learning. Rosenthal insists that the effect also applies to higher education.

PYP educator Matthew Scott at Rivercrest Christian College in Australia, was reminded of the Pygmalion Effect at a Project Zero Conference in Melbourne. "Harvard researcher Daniel Wilson suggested that the role of teaching and learning was really about working with 'human potential'," he recalls.

"This idea resonated with me as I considered how my classroom culture was geared to inspiring students to strive for more, or to be more. I was familiar with research conducted about the effects of positive expectations on learners and intrigued by the implications of Rosenthal's work."

Scott has applied the concept to his classroom essential agreement, which he calls the "oxygen" in the classroom. "The agreement is used in everything we do," he says. "It is used for individual and group goal setting. At times, we will focus on one specific line and inquire as to what it can look like and sound like in our context."

Positive expectations and the Pygmalion Effect has shifted the agreement from being a more traditional teacher-driven set of rules to a negotiated set of values, says Scott.

His students wrote the agreement using positive phrases, reminding them of their potential and what they are all working towards, says Scott. It breaks down elements of classroom conduct and is also used to encourage, inspire and motivate students. "The agreement is pivotal in giving all students a voice and a sense of ownership in how the class culture is developed and maintained," he says.

It's not about the basic rules, but more about the kind of people students want to be and how they can strive to be internationally minded

Students now see learning as a challenge and an ongoing process. "The students have embraced the positive aspirational nature of the agreement and it has positively affected our classroom culture and their attitude towards learning," he says.

Positive expectations and the Pygmalion Effect have also enhanced Scott's teaching. He says: "I proactively plan and teach elements of our classroom essential agreement and weave it into units of inquiry and the fabric of the classroom life.

"Now, I spend far less time managing student misbehaviour and much more time supporting students in motivating themselves to be more caring, peaceful and contribute to a better world."

Punishment- and reward-free classrooms

Mike Mackenna, MYP and IB Diploma Programme (DP) English Teacher at IB World School CIEDI, in Colombia, soon learned from experience that being "too strict" did not result in better student behaviour. He switched from punishment-and-reward classrooms to help build relationships and trust with his students.

"I spent my first six years of teaching getting progressively stricter," he says. "I embraced the principles of exacting discipline, outlined in books like Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov and Assertive Discipline by Lee Canter, trying to create a perfectly designed, uniformly enforced system of punishments and rewards. I was going for that '100% rule' - all students follow instructions at all times."

But some students didn't like this approach. More than a hundred recess reflections proved it was not resulting in better behaviour. "For class feedback, students frequently wrote comments such as 'Do more fun activities' and described my class as 'boring and repetitive'," says Mackenna. "The more charitable students tended to write comments like 'Classes are complete and informative, but monotonous'."

He decided to try the other extreme and researched the argument behind not punishing or rewarding students. Now, rather than giving out a list of rules at the beginning of the year, he asks students what they valued and what they should do in class to honour those values. Students named values like 'respect', which would lead to actions like listening to each other.

"This kind of classroom management fits well with the IB's mission of building a 'more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect'," says Mackenna

When students misbehave, Mackenna focuses on emphasizing the logical consequences of their actions. "I frame their behaviour as a choice. For example, 'Read the book and learn more, or don't read it and learn less. It is your choice, but I recommend reading'."

He says punishment- and reward-free classrooms encourage honesty. "When you do have to correct student behavior, students are much more likely to accept the correction and move on, rather than fight it, since the correction doesn't come with a punishment they want to avoid."

He's since not given out a single punishment, and says it was "the most enjoyable year of teaching" of his career by far. Student feedback has been much more positive, too. "Now I receive comments such as, 'Mike always tries to make every activity as fun as possible' and 'Mike is cool and polite'," he says.

Punishment-free classrooms could go a long way to improve boys' learning and engagement. As IB World magazine investigated in the September issue, boys are often perceived as disruptive and undisciplined, which can reinforce their negative attitudes to school.

Makenna has noticed a difference, he says: "Boys are more engaged than they've been in the past. Being able to just talk and sometimes joke with them about misbehaviour, without having to apply punishments, has made my relationships better with them, and that leads to more engagement."

He has also learned that class management can't be separated from engagement and morale. "If you teach more interesting lessons, misbehaviour generally goes down. I have put a lot more focus on making my lessons engaging by using the greatest variety of activities possible, giving students some form of choice in every assessment and frequently offering extra help to struggling students. To boost morale, I focused on making the workload reasonable and by frequently asking for, and acting on, student feedback," he says.

Simply removing punishments and rewards wasn't enough. I had to replace that sort of system with one in which students were challenged to honour their own values. I had to acknowledge that students, just like anyone else, react best to leaders who treat them well and try to make their work stimulating and enjoyable.

How do you manage your classroom? Email your stories to editor@ibo.org

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IB teachers speak to IB World about how their classroom-management systems encourage and celebrate growth and potential, and why the student voice is key Effective classroom-management tools are essential for creating successful learning spaces for all ages. But, working with students to develop an 'agreement' or a set of 'values' is crucial to success.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
IB teachers speak to IB World about how their classroom-management systems encourage and celebrate growth and potential, and why the student voice is key

Effective classroom-management tools are essential for creating successful learning spaces for all ages. But, working with students to develop an 'agreement' or a set of 'values' is crucial to success.

Two IB educators share with IB World how their new classroom-management techniques inspire students to become the best version of themselves and give them a sense of ownership in how their class culture is developed.

The Pygmalion Effect and positive expectations

The idea of 'self-fulfilling' prophecies and positive expectations has a long history. For example, researchers Rosenthal and Jacobson found that teacher expectations influence student performance after their experiment at an elementary school in 1968.

For the experiment, students took intelligence tests, but researchers gave teachers the names of 20 per cent of students who were showing "unusual potential for intellectual growth" and would bloom academically within the year. Unknown to the teachers, these students were randomly selected with no relation to the initial test.

When students were tested eight months later, they discovered that the randomly selected students scored significantly higher.

They called this the 'Pygmalion Effect'. The experiment highlights the powerful role a teacher plays in setting classroom expectations and how they impact on student engagement and learning. Rosenthal insists that the effect also applies to higher education.

PYP educator Matthew Scott at Rivercrest Christian College in Australia, was reminded of the Pygmalion Effect at a Project Zero Conference in Melbourne. "Harvard researcher Daniel Wilson suggested that the role of teaching and learning was really about working with 'human potential'," he recalls.

"This idea resonated with me as I considered how my classroom culture was geared to inspiring students to strive for more, or to be more. I was familiar with research conducted about the effects of positive expectations on learners and intrigued by the implications of Rosenthal's work."

Scott has applied the concept to his classroom essential agreement, which he calls the "oxygen" in the classroom. "The agreement is used in everything we do," he says. "It is used for individual and group goal setting. At times, we will focus on one specific line and inquire as to what it can look like and sound like in our context."

Positive expectations and the Pygmalion Effect has shifted the agreement from being a more traditional teacher-driven set of rules to a negotiated set of values, says Scott.

His students wrote the agreement using positive phrases, reminding them of their potential and what they are all working towards, says Scott. It breaks down elements of classroom conduct and is also used to encourage, inspire and motivate students. "The agreement is pivotal in giving all students a voice and a sense of ownership in how the class culture is developed and maintained," he says.

It's not about the basic rules, but more about the kind of people students want to be and how they can strive to be internationally minded

Students now see learning as a challenge and an ongoing process. "The students have embraced the positive aspirational nature of the agreement and it has positively affected our classroom culture and their attitude towards learning," he says.

Positive expectations and the Pygmalion Effect have also enhanced Scott's teaching. He says: "I proactively plan and teach elements of our classroom essential agreement and weave it into units of inquiry and the fabric of the classroom life.

"Now, I spend far less time managing student misbehaviour and much more time supporting students in motivating themselves to be more caring, peaceful and contribute to a better world."

Punishment- and reward-free classrooms

Mike Mackenna, MYP and IB Diploma Programme (DP) English Teacher at IB World School CIEDI, in Colombia, soon learned from experience that being "too strict" did not result in better student behaviour. He switched from punishment-and-reward classrooms to help build relationships and trust with his students.

"I spent my first six years of teaching getting progressively stricter," he says. "I embraced the principles of exacting discipline, outlined in books like Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov and Assertive Discipline by Lee Canter, trying to create a perfectly designed, uniformly enforced system of punishments and rewards. I was going for that '100% rule' - all students follow instructions at all times."

But some students didn't like this approach. More than a hundred recess reflections proved it was not resulting in better behaviour. "For class feedback, students frequently wrote comments such as 'Do more fun activities' and described my class as 'boring and repetitive'," says Mackenna. "The more charitable students tended to write comments like 'Classes are complete and informative, but monotonous'."

He decided to try the other extreme and researched the argument behind not punishing or rewarding students. Now, rather than giving out a list of rules at the beginning of the year, he asks students what they valued and what they should do in class to honour those values. Students named values like 'respect', which would lead to actions like listening to each other.

"This kind of classroom management fits well with the IB's mission of building a 'more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect'," says Mackenna

When students misbehave, Mackenna focuses on emphasizing the logical consequences of their actions. "I frame their behaviour as a choice. For example, 'Read the book and learn more, or don't read it and learn less. It is your choice, but I recommend reading'."

He says punishment- and reward-free classrooms encourage honesty. "When you do have to correct student behavior, students are much more likely to accept the correction and move on, rather than fight it, since the correction doesn't come with a punishment they want to avoid."

He's since not given out a single punishment, and says it was "the most enjoyable year of teaching" of his career by far. Student feedback has been much more positive, too. "Now I receive comments such as, 'Mike always tries to make every activity as fun as possible' and 'Mike is cool and polite'," he says.

Punishment-free classrooms could go a long way to improve boys' learning and engagement. As IB World magazine investigated in the September issue, boys are often perceived as disruptive and undisciplined, which can reinforce their negative attitudes to school.

Makenna has noticed a difference, he says: "Boys are more engaged than they've been in the past. Being able to just talk and sometimes joke with them about misbehaviour, without having to apply punishments, has made my relationships better with them, and that leads to more engagement."

He has also learned that class management can't be separated from engagement and morale. "If you teach more interesting lessons, misbehaviour generally goes down. I have put a lot more focus on making my lessons engaging by using the greatest variety of activities possible, giving students some form of choice in every assessment and frequently offering extra help to struggling students. To boost morale, I focused on making the workload reasonable and by frequently asking for, and acting on, student feedback," he says.

Simply removing punishments and rewards wasn't enough. I had to replace that sort of system with one in which students were challenged to honour their own values. I had to acknowledge that students, just like anyone else, react best to leaders who treat them well and try to make their work stimulating and enjoyable.

How do you manage your classroom? Email your stories to editor@ibo.org

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IB teachers speak to IB World about how their classroom-management systems encourage and celebrate growth and potential, and why the student voice is key Effective classroom-management tools are essential for creating successful learning spaces for all ages. But, working with students to develop an 'agreement' or a set of 'values' is crucial to success.

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This framework takes you through Facts, Feelings, Findings, Future.

Examples

An experience of success in a workplace

Making a mistake in a workplace

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我會思考與學生共同參與評量的部分

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我會思考與學生共同參與評量的部分

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通常評量的rubric都是老師自行制定，並不會跟學生討論，但今天看到與學生共同參與評量也算是教學評一致性，下次我會試試跟學生討論評量方式，達到"服務於學生"的學習評估。

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我想讓自己中文課的考察學習更扣緊UOI的概念

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我想讓自己中文課的考察學習更扣緊UOI的概念

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環環相扣? 從第一堂開始朝同一個目標?

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環環相扣? 從第一堂開始朝同一個目標?

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重新檢視每個單元的課程內容與活動，是否有與UOI連結且環環相扣，也要思考整個單元的過程有沒有朝最後那一個目標前進。

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我想設定好國語能力與UOI結合的學習目標

# data[].attributes.subject
我想設定好國語能力與UOI結合的學習目標

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設定好目標並將文本帶往那個方向發展

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引導學生共同討論，並總結出評量方式。

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引導學生共同討論，並總結出評量方式。

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目前五年級教材改版，評量還是維持原本的模式，我認爲和核心概念&新選文的關聯不太夠。

學生程度落差大，不知道能不能順利討論出理想的評量標準。

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In their book, Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals, Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cook identify "co-teaching as a specific service delivery option that is based on collaboration." As a service delivery option, co-teaching is designed to meet the educational needs of students with diverse learning options.

Students at all academic levels benefit from alternative assignments and greater teacher attention in small-group activities that co-teaching makes possible. Co-teaching allows for more intense and individualized instruction in the general education setting increasing access to the general education curriculum while decreasing stigma for students with special needs. Students have an opportunity to increase their understanding and respect for students with special needs. Students with special needs have a greater opportunity for continuity of instruction as the teachers benefit from the professional support and exchange of teaching practices as they work collaboratively.

Co-teaching involves two or more certified professionals who contract to share instructional responsibility for a single group of students primarily in a single classroom or workspace for specific content or objectives with mutual ownership, pooled resources and joint accountability. (Friend & Cook 2016)

Six Approaches to Co-Teaching

1. One Teach, One Observe. One of the advantages in co-teaching is that more detailed observation of students engaged in the learning process can occur. With this approach, for example, co-teachers can decide in advance what types of specific observational information to gather during instruction and can agree on a system for gathering the data. Afterward, the teachers should analyze the information together.

2. One Teach, One Assist. In a second approach to co-teaching, one person would keep primary responsibility for teaching while the other professional circulated through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to students as needed.

3. Parallel Teaching. On occasion, student learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher or more opportunity to respond. In parallel teaching, the teachers are both covering the same information, but they divide the class into two groups and teach simultaneously.

4. Station Teaching. In this co-teaching approach, teachers divide content and students. Each teacher then teaches the content to one group and subsequently repeats the instruction for the other group. If appropriate, a third station could give students an opportunity to work independently.

5. Alternative Teaching: In most class groups, occasions arise in which several students need specialized attention. In alternative teaching, one teacher takes responsibility for the large group while the other works with a smaller group.

6. Team Teaching: In team teaching, both teachers are delivering the same instruction at the same time. Some teachers refer to this as having one brain in two bodies. Others call it tag team teaching. Most co-teachers consider this approach the most complex but satisfying way to co-teach, but the approach that is most dependent on teachers' styles.

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Six Approaches to Co-Teaching - State Education Resource Center

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In their book, Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals, Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cook identify "co-teaching as a specific service delivery option that is based on collaboration." As a service delivery option, co-teaching is designed to meet the educational needs of studen...

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3 Common Co-Teaching Challenges and How to Overcome Them

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3 Common Co-Teaching Challenges and How to Overcome Them

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3 Common Co-Teaching Challenges and How to Overcome Them

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Don't let co-teaching challenges lead you to burnout. Here are 3 quick solutions that you can implement today!
All right, here we go...

We've got the top 5 answers on the board.

We asked 100 teachers to name the #1 #teacherproblem they wish they could leave behind...

Buzzer Beep...
After school meetings that could have been an email... Excessive and redundant paperwork... Sacrificing family time for late night grading... Doing the majority of planning, teaching and grading by myself even though I have a co-teacher... Being treated like an assistant even though I'm a licensed special education teacher...
Ok... You got me! Obviously I'm not Steve Harvey and this isn't Family Feud, but I did create a social media post asking this question and those were real responses that teachers gave.

Like most professions, teaching comes with its challenges.

Wait a minute... Did I just hear someone say 'low pay?' I agree, but I'm not even going there today. LOL!

All jokes aside. Teaching does come with its share of challenges, but co-teaching... OMG! If you think teaching is challenging, it doesn't come close to the challenges that co-teachers face.

Today we're looking at 3 common co-teaching challenges and of course I wouldn't leave you hanging without giving you a few quick solutions!

Challenge #1: Co-Teachers don't have time to develop a strong, collaborative relationship

A common practice in education is to toss two teachers in a classroom and expect them to make magic happen. In the dream education world that may work, but not in real life.

Our teachers are people, not magicians. They come with their own ideas of what the classroom should look and feel like as well as the policies and procedures that they plan to use. Adding another teacher to that equation often results in chaos when they're not given the opportunity to explore and discuss how to manage their co-taught classroom.

In order to turn that chaos into clarity so that the co-teachers can effectively meet the needs of all students, they must be provided time to develop a collaborative relationship.

Now I understand that time is a luxury that most teachers don't have so here's a quick and easy way to kill two birds with one stone. If you're anything like me, you must have coffee or your day just won't go right.

Do I have any coffee lovers in the house?

If you're a coffee love, then simply invite your co-teacher to join you before school for a Co-Teaching Coffee Chat. You all can sip coffee (or tea) while discussing classroom procedures and establish expectations for both of your roles. Trust me, when you do, not only will your day go a lot better, but everyday will!

Challenge #2: The general education teacher feels like she's planning, teaching + grading... alone.

Going back to that education dream world that I spoke about earlier, the expectation that many administrators have is that when they observe a co-taught class, they shouldn't be able to identify the general education teacher from the special education teacher because both teachers should be actively engaged in providing instruction and scaffolded supports.

While I agree that is the ultimate goal and what we hope to see in a co-taught classroom, it's only possible when there's effective co-teaching training and time to co-plan.

Unfortunately what we most often observe in the classroom is one teacher, typically the general education teacher, providing instruction while the other teacher walks around to assist. This situation leads to the general education teacher being frustrated and overwhelmed due to feeling like she's carrying the majority of the workload alone.

If you're a general education teacher that feels this way, one quick solution is to plan small, bite-size portions of the lesson that the special education teacher can lead. Often times special education teachers aren't equipped with the same level of content knowledge that you have and therefore, they don't feel prepared to lead the entire lesson, but even when this is the case, they usually feel comfortable enough to review homework or practice problems with the students.

Another way that this solution can be implemented is during the mini-lesson. At the beginning of the mini-lesson, the special education teacher can be tasked with reviewing the learning target and success criteria, introducing the topic and relating it to a real-world experience. Once it's time to transition to teaching new skills, that's when you can take over. This method leads to more of a team teaching approach and as the year progresses, your co-teacher will begin to feel much more comfortable leading instruction.

Challenge #3: The special education teacher doesn't feel valued as an equal co-teaching partner.

While the general education is left feeling like she's carrying the majority of the workload alone, the special education teacher often doesn't feel valued as an equal co-teaching partner.

Many special educators feel that despite the fact that they have earned their degree and are licensed teachers, they are treated as if they are paraprofessionals or teacher aides. Not only are they made to feel this way by their co-teacher, but they also feel as if administrators, students and parents view them as an assistant as well.

If you're a special education teacher that feels this way, one quick solution is to work with your co-teacher to redesign the classroom so that you have more of a presence in it. Simple changes such as having your name added to the door next to the general education teachers name goes a long way in changing student and parent perception. If you have a desk in the classroom, add pictures of your family and other decor that gives it a personal feel. Taking a little effort to add your personality helps to create a shared classroom environment where both teachers are viewed as equals.

Another solution is to use small group instruction to provide interventions and scaffolded supports to any student that needs it in order to achieve success in meeting the learning targets. Don't just work with those students on your caseload, but assist every student that needs it and soon you'll find that they value you just as much as they do the general education teacher.

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3 Common Co-Teaching Challenges and How to Overcome Them

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Don't let co-teaching challenges lead you to burnout. Here are 3 quick solutions that you can implement today! All right, here we go... We've got the top 5 answers on the board. We asked 100 teachers to name the #1 #teacherproblem they wish they could leave behind... Buzzer Beep...

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How can you overcome the challenges of co-teaching in an inclusive K-12 classroom?

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How can you overcome the challenges of co-teaching in an inclusive K-12 classroom?

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Co-teaching is a collaborative approach to instruction that involves two or more teachers sharing responsibility for planning, delivering, and assessing instruction in an inclusive K-12 classroom. Co-teaching can offer many benefits for students with diverse learning needs, such as increased academic support, social interaction, and access to the general curriculum. However, co-teaching also poses some challenges, such as communication, coordination, and compatibility issues among co-teachers. How can you overcome these challenges and make co-teaching work effectively in your classroom? Here are some tips to help you succeed as a co-teacher.

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How can you overcome the challenges of co-teaching in an inclusive K-12 classroom?

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Learn how to overcome the communication, coordination, and compatibility issues of co-teaching in an inclusive K-12 classroom with these tips.

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1.     看－思－疑 (See-Think-Wonder)

o   看 (See)： 讓學生描述他們看到的東西。

o   思 (Think)： 讓學生思考他們看到的東西，並提出他們的理解。

o   疑 (Wonder)： 鼓勵學生提出他們對所看到的東西的疑問或好奇心。

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1.     CSI (Color, Symbol, Image)

o   顏色 (Color)： 用一種顏色來代表學生的思考或情感。

o   符號 (Symbol)： 用一個符號來代表學生的想法。

o   圖像 (Image)： 用一個圖像來表達學生的理解。

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1.     思考－配對－分享 (Think-Pair-Share)

o   思考 (Think)： 讓學生先自己思考一個問題或主題。

o   配對 (Pair)： 讓學生與一位同學配對，分享和討論他們的想法。

o   分享 (Share)： 讓學生向全班分享他們的討論結果。

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1.     思維可視化 (Making Thinking Visible)

o   思維導圖 (Mind Mapping)： 讓學生繪製一個思維導圖，展示他們對一個主題的理解和聯想。

o   思維框架 (Thinking Frames)： 使用圖表或框架來組織和呈現學生的思考過程。

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1.     頭腦風暴 (Brainstorming)

o   讓學生在一個特定的主題上快速產生大量想法，鼓勵自由和創意思考，不做任何批評。

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1.     連接－擴展－挑戰 (Connect-Extend-Challenge)

o   連接 (Connect)： 讓學生連接他們新學到的知識與已有的知識或經驗。

o   擴展 (Extend)： 思考這些新知識如何擴展他們的理解。

o   挑戰 (Challenge)： 挑戰他們已知的觀念或引發新的疑問。

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1.     四方圖 (Four Corners)

o   教師在教室四個角放置不同的選項或立場，讓學生根據他們的觀點選擇一個角落站立，然後進行討論。

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1.     思維對話 (Think Aloud)

o   讓學生在完成某個任務或解決某個問題時，口頭說出他們的思考過程，這有助於他們清晰表達自己的思維。

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1.     我曾想過－現在我想 (I Used to Think... Now I Think...)

o   鼓勵學生反思他們的學習和思維轉變，寫下他們以前對某一主題的看法以及現在的看法，展示學習的進步和改變。

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1.     問一問 (Question Starts)

o   讓學生創造一些開放性問題，這些問題可以引發深入思考和探索。

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我調整了上國語課的方式，我覺得我更照顧到每個學生的學習狀態。

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我調整了上國語課的方式，我覺得我更照顧到每個學生的學習狀態。

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感謝可愛的老師們，每次會議都感受到大家的教學熱忱滿滿

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自己摸索、嘗試做了我覺得為他們好的東西，並帶領他們進一步理解文本

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小孩成語學太好，會用我教的成語攻擊我，或是回應我，讓我啞口無言。

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小孩成語學太好，會用我教的成語攻擊我，或是回應我，讓我啞口無言。

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我們班識字量每位學生都進步了，有部分學生甚至進步兩個年級。

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與學生建立良好的默契，並且了解每位學生的學習狀況，給予學生和家長學習的建議。

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與學生建立良好的默契，並且了解每位學生的學習狀況，給予學生和家長學習的建議。

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為語詞教學設計了賓果單遊戲、魔法道具等等...

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調整國語課上課和練習方式，學生上課討論度和投入度有改善，期末考試全班幾乎都有進步！

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調整國語課上課和練習方式，學生上課討論度和投入度有改善，期末考試全班幾乎都有進步！

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得到學生與家長正向的回饋~

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得到學生與家長正向的回饋~

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把國語日報盡力改造的符合他們的程度、有趣味性、有榮譽心...比起上學期，他們做的更認真、而我也不會改的那麼痛苦了!

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不交作業的人數從一半以上減少到十位以下

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不交作業的人數從一半以上減少到十位以下