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Video - Collaboration between Special education and general education teachers

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Video - Collaboration between Special education and general education teachers

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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. link

2) Inclusion Resources for ESL Students

http://www.ctserc.org/initiatives/teachandlearn/coteach.shtml

Practice pronunciation of student's name: To this day, I still practice this with my international students. Names represent who we are. It is crucial for the teacher as well as classmates to be able to pronounce the ELL student's name correctly. This might involve correcting students who mispronounce the student's name.

Explain playground and school rules to ELL students: Do this while keeping in mind that in some cultures it is not socially acceptable to ask questions. Some students will probably be very shy and uncomfortable in asking you questions about daily routine that seem obvious to us. Think of the following: using the restroom, eating and drinking, feeling ill, lineups, start and end of school procedures, length of recess and lunch hour etc.

Celebrate culture in the classroom: This can be a very fun and creative activity to do in the classroom. Ask students to bring either an artefact, traditional dress, or even food that represents their culture. For some students, this will be a fun family history lesson to find out the background of their culture.

Integrate culture in the curriculum: When studying either the arts, history, music, or science make sure to present students with artists/inventors/creators from other cultures/countries from those disciplines. This also creates a global connection between cultures and therefore fosters an empathetic atmosphere.

Advocate for a diversity & equality in school displays: This might include signs, and posters that deliver school messages/values and ethics. Library displays can also showcase material that is representative of cultural diversity.

Allow ELL students to have a choice: When selecting group members, give ELL students a choice that allows them to select their group members if they choose to do so. This might help them sit with other students they are comfortable with, and helps them build strong relationships with those students.

It's okay for students to speak their first language: This might come as a shock to many teachers, but students do not learn by force. If you "enforce" an English only rule in the classroom it will create a divide and a form of resistance from struggling ELL students. Instead, allow them to speak a language of their choice. Go over to them and find out if they have any questions or need clarification on instructions. Instantly, this builds a conversation and a connection between you and the student.

Invite ELL students' parents for teacher's night: This truly helps in bridging the cultural gap between parents and teachers, and allows both parties to be aligned when it comes to meeting the needs of the student. *Bonus*: find out if parents require an interpreter beforehand and try to accommodate this need.

Encourage polite questions when curious: students are often curious about the background of ELL students, and that's normal. Help students have these discussions and pose their questions by providing opportunities for small group discussions or one on one connections about curriculum material related to diversity, equity and humanitatrian efforts. *Please note*: The learning and discussion should be related to the curriculum and shouldn't use the ELL student as a lesson or reference. It's important for the teacher here to listen and try to help students frame questions positively that come up in this discussion. This will allow students to gain knowledge by politely asking the right questions, while still respecting other students' privacy and culture.

Encourage extra-curricular activities by finding out the interest/hobbies of the student: Many students will feel very hesitant to join teams/clubs in their school due to their developing language skills. A little encouragement from the teacher would go a long way. *Bonus*: Discuss the student's language abilities with the teacher/ coach who is in charge in order for them to also be mindful and empathetic to the student's social situation with other teammates.link

Learn their names

Take the time to learn how to pronounce your ELLs' names correctly. Ask them to say their name. Listen carefully and repeat it until you know it. If a student's name is Pedro, make sure you do not call him /peedro/ or Peter. Also, model the correct pronunciation of ELLs' names to the class so that all students can say the correct pronunciation.

Offer one-on-one assistance when possible

Some ELLs may not answer voluntarily in class or ask for your help even if they need it. ELLs may smile and nod, but this does not necessarily mean that they understand. Go over to their desk to offer individual coaching in a friendly way. For convenience, it may be helpful to seat ELLs near your desk.

Assign a peer partner

Identify a classmate who really wants to help your ELL as a peer. This student can make sure that the ELL understands what he or she is supposed to do. It will be even more helpful if the peer partner knows the ELL's first language.

Post a visual daily schedule

Even if ELLs do not yet understand all of the words that you speak, it is possible for them to understand the structure of each day. Whether through chalkboard art or images on Velcro, you can post the daily schedule each morning. By writing down times and having pictures next to words like lunch, wash hands, math, and field trip, ELLs can have a general sense of the upcoming day.

Use an interpreter

On-site interpreters can be very helpful in smoothing out misunderstandings that arise due to communication problems and cultural differences. If an on-site interpreter (a paid or volunteer school staff position) is not available, try to find an adult - perhaps another parent who is familiar with the school or "knows the system" - who is willing to serve this purpose. In difficult situations, it would not be appropriate for another child to translate.

ELLs can make unintentional "mistakes" as they are trying hard to adjust to a new cultural setting. They are constantly transferring what they know as acceptable behaviors from their own culture to the U.S. classroom and school. Be patient as ELLs learn English and adjust.

Invite their culture into the classroom

Encourage ELLs to share their language and culture with you and your class. Show-and-tell is a good opportunity for ELLs to bring in something representative of their culture, if they wish. They could also tell a popular story or folktale using words, pictures, gestures, and movements. ELLs could also try to teach the class some words from their native language.

Use materials related to your ELLs' cultures

Children respond when they see books, topics, characters, and images that are familiar. Try to achieve a good balance of books and materials that include different cultures. Visit our recommended bilingual books section.

Label classroom objects in both languages

Labeling classroom objects will allow ELLs to better understand their immediate surroundings. These labels will also assist you when explaining or giving directions. Start with everyday items, such as "door/puerta," "book/libro," and "chair/silla."

Include ELLs in a non-threatening manner

Some ELLs may be apprehensive about speaking out in a group. They might be afraid to make mistakes in front of their peers. Their silence could also be a sign of respect for you as an authority - and not a sign of their inability or refusal to participate. Find ways to involve ELLs in a non-threatening manner, such as through Total Physical Response activities and cooperative learning projects.

Involve ELLs in cooperative learning

Some ELLs are used to working cooperatively on assigned tasks. What may look like cheating to you is actually a culturally acquired learning style - an attempt to mimic, see, or model what has to be done. Use this cultural trait as a plus in your classroom. Assign buddies or peer tutors so that ELLs are able to participate in all class activities. Also, check out these cooperative learning strategies you can use with ELLs.

This ESL New Teacher Resource Guide often asks questions as, "Who will my new students be?" "What is their English proficiency?" "What materials should I use?" "How do I assess my students and document their progress?" link

Lots of resources , games, and actives for an ESL classroom. link

3) Three intervention studies from a peer-reviewed special education journal that focuses on co-teaching, inclusion, and ESL.

"Co-Tea ching: An Illustration of the Complexity of Collaboration in Special Education" : The study shows collaboration has long characterized special education. One key factor contributing to this interest is the No Child Left Behind Act. link

"A Survey of General and Special Education Teachers' Perceptions and Inservice Needs Concerning Inclusion" : The study shows to improve educational services to students with disabilities . The understanding of inclusion in serving students. link

" Phonological Awareness and Beginning Reading in Spanish-Speaking ESL First Graders : Research into Practice": The study shows ESL first graders whose families were Latino immigrants and who received all their school instruction in English. link

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Strategies for Collaboration Between General Education and Special Education Teachers - Content Based Strategies and Resources

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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.

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I chose to take a closer look at station teaching. This co-teaching arrangement can have a place in the classroom depending on the lesson. Station teaching is where teachers divide up content and students. Each teacher then teaches the content to one group and then repeats the content to another group. This allows the educators to focus their time on a smaller group of students to hopefully provide more individualized attention. Teachers can plan their lessons on their instructional strengths. This method also allows for chunking information, it allows the group of students to focus on one thing at a time. Rotating stations allows for students to take a break, get up, stretch their legs, and then to focus on a new station/activity.

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The new question-of-the-week is:
What is the best advice for co-teaching arrangements (Special Needs, ELLs, etc.)?
Part One featured the commentaries of Elizabeth Stein, Jenny Vo, Becky Corr, Andrea Honigsfeld, and Maria Dove. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Elizabeth, Jenny, and Becky on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Today's guests are Tan Huynh, Abby Shink, Gloria Lodato Wilson, Joan Blednick, Heather Stinson, Dr. Catherine Beck, and Dr. Heidi Pace.
Response From Tan Huynh
Tan Huynh (@TanELLclassroom) is a career teacher specializing in language acquisition. Tan has taught students from 5th to 12th grade in public schools, private boarding schools, and charter schools. Internationally, Tan has taught in schools in China, Laos, and Vietnam. He shares teaching strategies on his blog, Empowering ELLs, and has provided professional development in places such as China, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, and Canada. Tan's goal is to support all teachers who are committed to empowering English-learners whether it be in a tweet, a blog post, a book, a training, a course, or over coffee:
In the 2018 Winter Olympics, the U.S.A. team sent 244 athletes to compete in skiing, figure skating, and hockey, to name a few. Regardless of the sport, all the athletes held one singular goal: to win medals for Team U.S.A. The Olympics is a suitable analogy for co-teaching because each athlete contributes their own strengths to the team. For example, alpine skier Bruce Bynett is more valuable to the American team by competing in the skiing competition than joining the curling team. Likewise, the best co-teaching arrangement occurs when teachers draw from their own expertise. When I collaborate with content teachers, I offer ways to scaffold the language and identify opportunities for differentiation. The content teacher focuses on what content to teach and thinks about how best to sequence the learning experiences. In this arrangement, we each contribute to students' learning from our own area of expertise. It's a highly effective arrangement because

Each teacher can tailor the instruction they're best at to meet different learners.

Students receive both content-related and academic-language support.

Small-group instruction can be based on content or academic language.

When I work with Mr. Arno, a middle school science teacher, he focuses on teaching students how to design a lab experiment, how to gather data, and how to interpret the results. Then I'm tagged in to help students describe the lab experiment and communicate their findings using language suitable for science. As we co-teach, Mr. Arno guides students in collecting and analyzing data while I help them communicate their ideas. In this arrangement, the students master content skills while developing academic language. It is the best of both worlds for students and the teachers alike. Co-teaching is less about what to teach or how to teach; it's more about what strengths teachers can bring to instruction and learning. In playing to our strengths, collaborating from our areas of expertise, we give children more than one teacher alone can provide. From Empowering ELLs
Response From Abby Shink
Abby Shink is a K-5 math interventionist at a small rural school in Central Maine. She has been teaching for 10 years, focusing specifically on math for the last four. Abby is currently working on her master's in teaching mathematics K-8 at Mt. Holyoke College:
Co-teaching sounds like a great idea to many but can be difficult to pull off in a way that is beneficial for all students and teachers. Conflicts of personality, priorities, and pedagogical ideals can make these arrangements difficult. Being proactive, transparent, and flexible can help to ease tensions and keep the collaborative arrangement working for all parties. Before working together in any classroom, it is really helpful if the staff members who will be teaching together meet to discuss:

Goals for their work together. If these goals are measurable, how will you measure them throughout your time together?

Norms. Seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how much this helps to eliminate problems before they arise.

Shared documents. Where will plans, goals, and norms be kept so that both teachers (or everyone in the co-teaching arrangement) can access them and add to them easily?

Regular common planning times that will be used to look at student work, discuss upcoming lessons, determine roles for each staff member during the class period (often these roles can be flexible; it is helpful to revisit them often because they may change day to day).

Once these foundational pieces are in place, maintaining the documents, revisiting goals and norms, and checking in to be sure planning times are being used productively are important. All staff involved should feel like they have a voice and find value in the time being put into the collaborative work. Finally, when in doubt, focus on students! All teachers have students in common at their core. Bringing student work to planning meetings, watching videos or listening to clips of students working, or talking about ways to support students in new and dynamic ways can help to bridge the gaps that divide us as teachers. Even when our ideas about how and what to teach can make it difficult to find common ground, anchoring conversations in student work and thinking can take the focus off the what and how of teaching and shift it just a bit to the learning. Response From Gloria Lodato Wilson & Joan Blednick
Gloria Lodato Wilson, Ph.D. is a professor at Hofstra University and director of the secondary special education programs and author of Co-Planning for Co-Teaching: Time-Saving Routines That Work in Inclusive Classrooms (ASCD Arias).

Joan Blednick, Ed.D., is an adjunct assistant professor at Hofstra University. They co-authored Teaching in Tandem (ASCD) and also provide professional development for co-teachers through their consulting firm, Strategic Training and Research (STAR):
In any inclusive classroom where two teachers are responsible for the learning of all, including typically achieving students, students with special needs, and/or students for which English is a new language (ENL), the best advice is COMMITMENT: * Co-plan lessons. Without co-planning, there is very little effective co-teaching. Co-planning involves understanding the curriculum and the needs of your students and making the time to co-plan lessons. * Organize routines. While co-planning can be daunting and time-consuming, there are ways to streamline the process. Take a look at a your co-taught period; what do you routinely do in the class? Do you always review for exams? Do you start the period with a warm-up exercise or a weekly packet? Start by co-planning just one of your common routines. * Manage groups. Commonly, co-teachers default to a one-teach, one-support model of co-teaching. This whole-class instructional method does little to customize or intensify instruction. Station teaching, dividing the class into multiple teacher-led and independent groups, creates small learning pods where co-teachers can adjust instruction and assess learning. Parallel teaching divides the class in two, with each co-teacher taking a section to deliver instruction. * Mix it up. The key to great groupings is to keep them flexible. At times, students can be grouped by skill levels, or interest levels, or randomly placed. Both teachers should strive to be adept at working with all students in the class and resist identifying students as "mine" or "yours." * Incorporate specialized instruction. A co-taught class should look substantially different by incorporating specially designed instructional techniques which emphasize the big ideas of a topic or concept, scaffold instruction into steps that lead to mastery, incorporate frequent and cumulative review, connect prior knowledge to what is being learned, and conspicuously teach strategies. * Target and monitor goals. Students with identified learning needs have individualized education programs (IEPs) that specify yearly learning goals, which often get lost in an inclusive classroom. Addressing both learning goals and curriculum goals cannot be achieved when co-teachers rely on whole-group instruction and use the one-teach, one-support model. Incorporating station teaching and an alternative model, where there is a large teacher-led group and a smaller teacher-led group, allows for targeted goal instruction. Co-teachers also need to monitor student progress on the goals by frequently assessing how close the student is to goal mastery with short and directed assessments and charting the progress. * Make mistakes. Every co-teaching partnership and classroom is different, and it takes considerable commitment and skills for success. Co-teachers need to feel free to take chances to change their instruction. Administrators have an obligation to understand the dynamics and challenges of co-teaching and provide safe support and encouragement. * Engage students. Co-teachers have a unique opportunity to make learning exciting and active. Through co-planning lessons, co-teachers can create multiple ways for students to interact with learning materials and concepts, multiple ways for students to receive information and to demonstrate that they learned. * Never be satisfied. Co-teachers who reflect back on the day, acknowledge what worked for some students and what didn't work for others, and who have honest conversations regarding what they can do to improve learning for all will take their co-teaching efforts to a higher level. * Take time. Co-teaching is complicated and complex. Differing teacher personalities and styles of teaching, very diverse student-learning needs and behaviors, demanding curriculums, and parent and administrative expectations all are magnified in a co-taught classroom. Co-teachers need to take a breath and start small. Build some success by understanding that more intensified learning can take place when students are in smaller groups and make a commitment to perfecting this type of co-teaching technique. Select a different student each week to focus on his/her successes and challenges. Together, make weekly goals to try a new learning or teaching technique. Slow and steady wins the race with co-teaching, but with COMMITMENT, success is inevitable. Response From Heather Stinson
Heather Stinson (CAGS, MED, S/LP-A) received her master's degree in education of the deaf from Smith College in 2006 and a graduate certificate in children, families, and schools (with a concentration in research methodology) from the University of Massachusetts in 2012. In addition to her many years of experience working with children with hearing loss who communicate using listening and spoken language, Heather has also worked as a preschool classroom teacher. She has presented both locally and nationally on issues related to mainstreaming students with hearing loss and is a contributing author to Odyssey magazine. Heather currently works as an itinerant teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech:
As an itinerant teacher of students who are deaf or hard of hearing, my role is to travel to mainstream schools and provide support to students who have hearing loss and communicate using listening and spoken language through the use of assistive technology such as cochlear implants, hearing aids, and Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT, formerly referred to as FM systems). Additional components of my job are to collaborate, communicate with, and provide ongoing support and training for classroom teachers and additional service providers. This comprehensive model ensures that students who are deaf or hard of hearing have optimal access to their education throughout their school day. Prior to working with students who have hearing loss, I was a general education teacher. I had many experiences with service providers coming into my classroom to consult about students who had different learning needs. Some of those collaborations were successful, and others were frustrating. In my current role, I am aware of how my presence impacts the general education classroom. Each teacher has different goals for each lesson. While the content in all 3rd grade classrooms may be similar, the activities, presentation of materials and information, and expectations will be different in each classroom. My role is not to change how a teacher teaches but to find ways to incorporate the needs of my student into what is already happening. Similarly, rather than making demands, I try to engage each teacher in a conversation by asking questions to gain more information. Classroom teachers need to understand hearing loss, but I need to understand the goals of each lesson in order for my student to fully access the curriculum. When teachers realize that I am there as a support and resource not only for the student but for the adults as well, and that I am not there to criticize or change but rather to implement strategies, I am generally welcomed. Each school year begins with an in-service where I meet with the school team and go over the basics of hearing loss, my students' accommodations, the benefits and limitations of the assistive technology, teaching strategies, and any necessary classroom or content modifications. I continually work with my students to build self-advocacy skills and to address the specific goals and objectives in their individual education programs (IEPs). I also help my students and their teachers explain their technology to classmates with typical hearing and encourage continued professional development around issues related to hearing loss. I have my agenda, but I am also aware of the many varied needs in each classroom, and sometimes teachers may not see my students as the neediest or consultation with me as a priority.
Effective partnerships take patience. I try to connect with each teacher that I work with on a personal level each time I visit, even if it is brief. When we are able to see each other as people and not just service providers, there is more buy-in and motivation to collaborate. Response From Dr. Catherine Beck & Dr. Heidi Pace
Dr. Catherine Beck is the director of schools for Cheatham County schools in Tennessee. She is also the author of Easy and Effective Professional Development and Leading Learning for ELL Students.

Dr. Heidi Pace is a retired superintendent. She currently teaches for Concordia University and Colorado College, USA:
Co-teaching can be an excellent model to strengthen Tier 1 instruction. Having an ELL or special education teacher work in tandem alongside the classroom teacher planning and delivering lessons not only ensures that the lessons include the needed differentiation strategies but also raises the level of expertise for the classroom teacher. The secret to successful co-teaching is in the planning. Co-teachers must plan together with critical eyes to be able to successfully deliver rich lessons that meet everyone's needs. Administrators must be sure to create time in the schedule for both the planning and teaching to occur. Professional development is needed for the teachers who will work together as co-teachers. Several considerations must be decided. These include:

What model for co-teaching will be used? In other words, how will the two teachers work together during the lesson?

Will the general ed. teacher create the lessons and then the co-teacher add the modifications? Or will the two teachers create the lesson together?

How do the two teachers best communicate?

What will the organization of the classroom look like? Whose classroom is it?

How will the division of labor be decided?

What will success look like? How will the co-teaching be measured?

Answering these questions ahead of time will set the team up for the highest chances for success. Frontload the professional development and put the time in to ensure a positive experience for all: the co-teachers, students, and the parents.

Thanks to Tan, Abby, Gloria, Joan, Heather, Catherine, and Hedi for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first seven years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. Look for Part Three in a few days.

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Response: Strategies for Effective Co-Teaching Arrangements (Opinion)

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The new question-of-the-week is: What is the best advice for co-teaching arrangements (Special Needs, ELLs, etc.)? Part One featured the commentaries of Elizabeth Stein, Jenny Vo, Becky Corr, Andrea Honigsfeld, and Maria Dove. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Elizabeth, Jenny, and Becky on my BAM!

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This model is ideal to use when there is a great deal of information being covered, such that it can be split up between two groups. This keeps the academic rigor the same, but lessens the content responsibility for each group. Although the groups are separated, they can join back together at the end of the lesson to share what they learned with the other group.

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Parallel Teaching is a collaborative teaching method where two teachers (e.g., general education teacher, special education teacher, student teacher, etc.) use their individual strengths and teaching styles to jointly plan a lesson, then divide the class in half and each teach the same lesson to the two groups at the same time. The class can be split randomly, according to learning profiles (e.g., reading levels), behavior tendencies (e.g. separating students who tend to argue), or to strategically combine or distribute students with various strengths, needs, or characteristics (e.g., talkative students). Working with a smaller group increases support for each student and the teacher's ability to monitor the students for understanding. Parallel Teaching also allows for students with disabilities or learning needs to receive a higher level of support within group settings with a decreased level of social stigma that is sometimes associated with individual support.

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Parallel Teaching is a collaborative teaching method where two teachers (e.g., general education teacher, special education teacher, student teacher, etc.) use their individual strengths and teaching styles to jointly plan a lesson, then divide the class in half and each teach the same lesson to the two groups at the same time.

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In my kindergarten, there are several different methods employed for co-teaching at various levels. For this post, I'll share the roles and how they are implemented.

In Class:

Each classroom has four teachers that are present in class at all times. Two homeroom teachers (One English and one Chinese), a teachers assistant (a Chinese teacher who speaks English and mandarin) and a Life teacher.

The class day is divided into two duties (morning and afternoon), with the homeroom teachers alternating. The TA and LT are on duty during both periods. All classroom design, parent management and behavioural structures are handled as a single unit between the HT's and TA, with the LT taking responsibility for students' well-being. Our LT's cover food, dressing, hygiene and health needs (for example, a nose bleed has the LT take charge of the student, and she'll take them to the nurse if needed).

When an HT is off duty, they are still present in class at their desk doing paperwork. This divides the workload between all teachers, meaning the students have access to a teacher quite easily if they require it. I always explain to new teachers that off-duty doesn't mean you have no work. It just means you aren't the primary teacher at the minute. If your students or fellow teachers need help, you need to be available.

The TA is responsible for assisting the HT's in any way possible, each HT has their teaching methods and requirements, so this role may vary.

In Grade:

At the grade level, we have bi-weekly meetings about curriculum progress, behaviour and additional content. In these meetings, we share ideas that worked, discuss approaches that could be changed and in a straightforward way, share experience to improve the students learning experience.

Additionally, we also do class observations monthly for each class. The aim is to have teachers experience other teachers teaching methods and styles. Seeing the approach taken by a peer often helps teachers find new instructional practices or see behavioural management systems in action. This is especially helpful for our first-time teachers, as we often get "fresh off the boat" teachers who have little to no experience and find themselves overwhelmed.

In-School:

As above, we have monthly meetings with all teachers to discuss curriculum progress, new ideas and effective strategies implemented during a month. These meetings often include training for a specific topic presented by one of the teachers, which we then discuss and expand upon. Last month's meeting had training by our drama teacher; she covered how she uses drama to teach reading—introducing concepts like roleplay, acting out, and retelling. These pieces of training often include TPR based games, structures for language content or behavioural tips that teachers have found effective. They also create a dialogue where teachers have their methods questioned, which helps them improve their plan during the meeting.

Without collaboration, many of the systems that make my school function at the level it does would not work. Many new teachers rely on these practices to supplement their understanding, and our older teachers use them to avoid relying on outdated methods.

Our students always have four pairs of eyes on them, with teachers in the classroom can rely on their immediate peers in any situation.

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What does CTT stand for? Some people think it's "creative thinkers thinking," or "cool teachers teaching." Others say it's "conflict tackling together." While CTT means all of the above, it stands for "collaborative team teaching" and refers to the idea of a co-teaching partnership.

Over the years, I have taught in seven co-teaching partnerships in a wide range of classroom environments. This is the path for many dually certified special education teachers in New York City as the push for inclusion continues to spread. My partnerships have led me on an emotional rollercoaster, yet through thick and thin, my belief in inclusion and collaborative team teaching has remained constant. Though we are making strides in the right direction, we are still in the process of identifying what works in co-teaching.

Having co-taught in first grade, second grade and sixth grade, I feel confident in saying that the greatest challenge is finding a working model for middle school co-teachers. While teaching first and second grade, I had one co-teacher for the entire school year. Whatever challenges came our way, we certainly didn't lack the time to work them out. During my time in sixth grade, I co-taught ELA, math, science and social studies. Teaching with four co-teachers leaves little time for co-planning or problem solving. Many middle schools use stronger co-teaching models where the special education counterpart teaches two subject areas or one subject and small groups, but even in those cases, co-teaching in middle school presents challenges.

What Makes a Strong Partnership?

Strong co-teachers provide seamless instruction for their students. Both teachers must come to a mutual agreement that they are equals in the classroom, and students must perceive both teachers as invaluable members of the classroom community. This can be particularly difficult for teachers who have taught alone for many years. Sometimes we don't realize how many decisions we make alone in our classroom on a daily basis. Making decisions as a team is key to a strong partnership, but it is often an adjustment for veteran teachers.

Strong co-teachers also eliminate the "mommy/daddy" issue in the beginning of the year through a series of open conversations. The "mommy/daddy" issue refers to when a student says something like ". . . but she said I could!" in order to manipulate a set of co-teachers. This happens quite often at first. Strong co-teachers do not always agree on everything, but they realize that the time for disagreement is not during class.

Finally, strong co-teachers solve problems together. In fact, that is the best part of co-teaching; you're never in it alone!

Benefits of Co-Teaching

Having two minds facilitate a classroom community allows students to connect with different personalities. Co-teaching allows more opportunities for small group and one-to-one learning, and stronger modeling during lessons. The co-planning process encourages two teachers to bounce ideas off each other in order to deliver the strongest, most creative lessons. I always enjoyed using my partnerships to model behavior and positive peer-to-peer interaction for students. When students experience their teachers working together, they understand the power of respect amongst peers.

Let's not forget the most important part: it is nice to have another adult in the room! One year, I taught with a co-teacher, a student teacher and four paraprofessionals. While things got a bit hectic at times, I loved the community we were able to develop in our class. Teaching is overwhelming, but co-teaching can provide a support system so that we can do our jobs, yet remember to have fun along the way.

Common Challenges of Co-Teaching

Co-teaching has its benefits, but be sure to understand that it has its challenges as well. The most common complaint I've heard from colleagues in co-teaching partnerships is that it is difficult to work with someone whose teaching style and philosophy differ from your own. In my own experience, success is less dependent on similar philosophies and more dependent on an open mind and willingness to compromise. If you are in a co-teaching partnership with someone who views learning and teaching differently, make sure to talk about it. Look at it as a chance to widen the scope of your practice by incorporating multiple styles into your teaching.

Another common challenge is in regards to the inequality that often forms in the classroom. Special education teachers often struggle to present themselves as equals to their students, and this becomes even more evident in the middle school setting. Elementary co-teachers share a classroom all day, but a middle school special education teacher can feel like a guest in a general education teacher's space. It is crucial to have conversations with your co-teacher surrounding these issues. Setting up the classroom with your co-teacher in September can help build a strong foundation for an equal partnership. Practicing a variety of co-teaching models also helps foster equality.

A challenge that followed me through many of my partnerships was the issue of grading. Do you grade all students together? Does the special education teacher grade all students with IEPs? Does the general education teacher truly understand the purpose and implications of an IEP? These are all important questions to ask. I have found that it works best when you discuss this issue at the beginning of the year. While more time-consuming, grading all students together as co-teachers is the most fair and consistent way to grade. Grading together allows the special education teacher to share his or her expertise in IEP goals with the general education teacher, and it allows the general education teacher to weigh in on IEP goals for his or her students.

Five Tips to Becoming a Strong Co-Teacher

1. Say this mantra: "All students are our students."

2. Come to planning meetings prepared (with an agenda) to maximize co-planning time.

3. If you feel something, say something! Open communication is the key to a successful partnership.

4. Realize that the success of your class depends on the strength of your co-teaching relationship.

5. Use a variety of co-teaching models to help maintain equality.

"Inclusion is not a place, but instead a process." - Anonymous

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Collaborative Team Teaching: Challenges and Rewards

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What does CTT stand for? Some people think it's "creative thinkers thinking," or "cool teachers teaching." Others say it's "conflict tackling together." While CTT means all of the above, it stands for "collaborative team teaching" and refers to the idea of a co-teaching partnership.

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Co-teaching is the instructional design in which a general education teacher and a special education teacher deliver core instruction along with specialized instruction, as needed, to a diverse group of students in a single physical space.

Co-teaching partnerships require educators to make joint instructional decisions and share responsibility and accountability for student learning (USOE Co-Teaching Guide).

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Increases learning options for all students.For example, with reduced student-to- teacher ratio, more students can receive one-on-one attention (Magiera and Zigmond, 2005).

Improves program intensity and continuity. For example, academic strategies learned in special education can be applied in general education. Special educators can reinforce and encourage generalization of these strategies

Increases support for teachers and related service personnel. Teachers working together feel less isolated and grow from collaborating with another professional (Cook & Friend, 1995).

Benefits for Students with Disabilities

Improved self-esteem and self-confidence (Zigmond & Baker, 1995).

Improved social skills and peer relationships (Zigmond & Baker, 1995). •

Perform better in general education settings than in special education settings (Murawski & Swanson, 2001).

Increased understanding that general education students often have difficulty learning new concepts as well.

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I have done push-in, pull-out, and back table collaboration. It may look different in each classroom because teachers have different styles and so do the students. I try to always work wit the classroom teacher beforehand to decide how to best teach/support and then we re-group later to decide if the strategy works or if we need to change it up.
From my own experience, the classroom teacher and I agree beforehand what the best strategy might be for the lesson and the different needs of the students... stay in the classroom or go to a room or area outside of the room. I may just walk around observing and being available to support for any student or I may pull up a chair by a student with or without and IEP. Other times I would pull small groups to a back table by taking a table or students or a row of students to the back to work on the lesson. This practice benefitted the students who were not struggling to help them be able to explain their work to another student and to me so I knew that they had "gotten" what was being taught. Then I'd rotate that group out for another small group and so forth. Meanwhile, the classroom teacher walked around and worked with the students, too. The students were able to learn with/from their peers and no one longed "pulled" for instruction because they struggled. Then after all groups had had the opportunity for small group, we opened up the back table again for any students who had not completed the assignment.

In pull-out situations I still go into the classroom and hear the entire lesson and watch the way the teacher presents and shows students how to do math problems or examples of writing. Then I take students who may need extra support, who need another avenue to demonstrate their work, or just aren't "getting it." Some students come with me daily others are more fluid with needing support or not. I then go to another room or area with these students and differentiate the lesson to help them not just complete the assignment but to help them understand what is being taught. We read, write, touch, build, draw, look at videos... whatever helps them connect with the subject learning.

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At your child's IEP meeting , the IEP team (which includes you) has to make a number of decisions. For instance, the team has to agree on services and supports for your child. But there's another step to consider after that. You have to decide if the services will be "push-in" or "pull-out."

What does that mean, and what's the difference between the two options? It's not the services that are different - it's the way your child receives them. This chart compares push-in and pull-out services side-by-side.

What they are

Specialists work closely with students in the general education classroom. Instructional support, differentiated instruction, or related services are provided in the classroom.

Specialists work closely with students outside of the general education classroom. Instructional support or related services are provided in small groups or one-on-one in a separate setting.

How it works

Push-in services happen in the general education classroom. The general education teacher, special education teacher, and others (like speech therapists or occupational therapists) work collaboratively. This is called inclusive education.

Pull-out services typically happen in a setting outside the general education classroom.

While the general education teacher is an important resource, she's rarely involved in pull-out services. Instead, the specialist provides the instruction, and it doesn't have to be integrated with the general education curriculum. It really depends on a student's needs.

The student goes to the pull-out provider's classroom to work one-on-one or in a small group setting.

The push-in provider brings the instruction and any necessary materials to the student. A reading specialist, for example, may come into the class to work with a student during language arts.

How kids get them

Services can be provided through IEPs, response to intervention (RTI), informal supports, and other instructional interventions.

Services can be provided through IEPs, RTI, informal supports, and other instructional interventions.

Pros and cons

Pros:

Students miss less instructional time because they're not spending as much time moving between classrooms.

There's less disruption to a student's daily schedule.

There's more direct interaction between all of a student's providers.

Students get to learn and practice skills in the general education classroom, which keeps them in the least restrictive environment.

Cons:

There are fewer opportunities for students to receive tailored and explicit instruction to help them gain skills they need to keep up with the curriculum.

Co-planning instruction and working around differences in teaching styles can create obstacles for teachers.

There are often more distractions for students in the general education classroom, which can be especially hard for students with attention issues like ADHD.

Pros:

Students get more direct instruction that's tailored to their unique needs.

There are typically fewer distractions for students outside the general education classroom.

Students have more personalized interaction with providers, which helps students build trust and gives them extra emotional support.

Teachers and specialists don't have to spend as much time grounding a lesson for the entire classroom.

Cons:

There's less opportunity for specialists and teachers to collaborate and to determine whether pull-out instruction is helping students access the general education curriculum.

Students may feel "different" or uncomfortable because they have to leave the general classroom for services.

There can be more scheduling difficulties, so a student may miss other subjects or specials like art, music, or PE.

About the Author

About the Author

worked as a classroom teacher and as an early intervention specialist for 10 years. She is the author of Amanda Morin The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education. Two of her children have learning differences.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Melody Musgrove, EdD served as director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education.

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The difference between push-in and pull-out services

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At your child's IEP meeting , the IEP team (which includes you) has to make a number of decisions. For instance, the team has to agree on services and supports for your child. But there's another step to consider after that. You have to decide if the services will be "push-in" or "pull-out."

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Using the infographic our group posted above, is a great start when planning the best strategies to use when collaborating with other teachers and specialist.  I used the infographic and further research to dive deeper into the One-Teacher, One-Assist strategy.

Within this model of co-teaching and collaboration, the general education teacher usually takes the lead on the lesson by presenting the information.  The specialist will then offer one on one help to students who are struggling or need more clarification on the lesson being taught.  Within this model the general education and specialist could switch roles, where the specialist becomes the main instructor and the teacher becomes the one on one support.

Pros of One-Teacher, One-Assist Model:

Can provide one on one instruction

Good strategy when introducing new concepts

Use for small group mini-lessons

Provide different learning strategies for individual students

Cons of One-Teacher, One-Assist Model:

One teacher may feel as more of an assistant

The lesson falls upon one teacher

Does not take full advantage of having two instructors within the room

In order to make this model successful, the general education teacher and specialist should review the material so they are both knowledgeable.  Though, in this model, the teacher that is most familiar with the material will usually take the lead on the lesson.  Leaving the second teacher to assist and manage behavior throughout the lesson.

Below is a video that provides a little more insight on what the model would look like within the classroom.

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Key Concepts in Inclusive Classroom Collaborations

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Key Concepts in Inclusive Classroom Collaborations

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Time

Communication

Sharing of Experience

Professional Development

Administration

Parental Involvement

Time:
Time must be intentionally set aside on a regular basis to allow for reflection, collaboration, brainstorming, and the opportunity to listen to one another. I find this comes down to the teaching team prioritizing collaboration. If they have a scheduled meeting once a week, for example, it will be worked into their practice.

Communication:
Having an open mind to diverse ways of thinking and having a positive attitude will make all members of the team feel more equal. I find that honest communication between group members creates feelings of trust.

Sharing of Expertise:
Each member of the collaboration comes with their own specialities and experiences. Sharing of this knowledge enhance's each individuals ability to support student learning in all areas. Circulation of information can come in the form of sharing plans, planning together, and sharing multiple resources. I have learned so much from watching co-teachers in their area of expertise. It has strengthened my visual art teaching practice, for example, to incorporate kinaesthetic elements into my lessons which I have learned from co-teachers who specialize in theater. This allows for  diverse ways for students to show what they know, which offers UDL strategies as well.

Professional Development:
By giving teaching the support they need, they will feel more comfortable and more willing to participate in the collaborative environment. Ideally, schools would provide funding for this on a regular basis. Various departments would benefit from not being so isolated, but rather creating courses that incorporate multidisciplinary material like STEAM.

Administration:
All of this must be prioritised by a school’s leadership. Principals who favour inclusion, prioritise students with disabilities, and offer support to their teaching staff generally promote more motivation among teaching teams. They must designate time in the school schedule for this.

Parental Involvement:
A parent’s knowledge of their child’s likes, dislikes and behaviours outside of class can be of great value. They also play a critical role in support and behaviour plans. Creating consistency between supports at home and in the classroom make for stronger student outcomes.

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Parallel Teaching

Parallel teaching works well to differentiate instruction when the content being taught is particularly challenging. Students can benefit from learning difficult material in a smaller group.

Benefit:

·       Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

·       Lowers the student-teacher ratio and reduces the load of teaching a large class

·       Allows for small group instruction, which can be especially helpful for students who learn and think differently

·       Gives students the chance to ask more questions during lesson time

·       Provides a chance for students to work in heterogeneous groups (made up of varying abilities instead of groups of students with similar strengths and challenges)

·       Keeps the academic rigor of a demanding lesson, but splits the responsibility between both teachers

Challenges:

·      Requires both teachers have strong knowledge of the content so students will learn the same thing

·      Can be challenging to control for noise, distraction, and space when working in the same classroom

·      Requires careful timing to make sure both teachers end the lesson at the same time

Teachers use this technique when both teachers have content expertise and there’s a lot of information to be covered.

-       Station teaching:

The class is divided into three or more groups and the classroom has multiple learning centers. As the students rotate through the stations, the teachers teach the same material in different ways to each group.

Both you and your co-teacher are responsible for planning and teaching an in-depth concept that helps meet the overall lesson goal.

What a station teaching looks like stations are set up in various areas of the classroom one for each teacher and with one independent student work.

Benefits:

·      Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

·      Allows teachers to use flexible grouping to tailor teaching to each groups’ needs

·      Lowers the student-teacher ratio

·      Resets student focus with each station rotation, increasing engagement

·      Provides time for students to engage with the content on their own as well as with teachers

·      Supports a UDL approach to teaching

·      Allows for more material to be covered in a shorter time frame

·      Provides a clear teaching responsibility for each adult in the room

Challenges:

·      Requires significant planning for teaching and material preparation

·      Students may not get to all of the stations if they’re not moving at the same pace

·      May be noisy and distracting for some students

·      Requires pre-teaching around expectations for independent work time

This teaching technique varies with depths of knowledge on a topic and the students would benefit from differentiated instruction.

I think the collaboration between both teachers are really important, because student who are at average learning speed can be introduced to techniques which they might like but aren’t introduced since they aren’t special needs. I think different approaches to education need to be normalized such as having more than 1 teacher in the classroom.

Teachers can collaborate and create a setting in which the students feel like they are learning in a fun way as well as being introduced to different points of view.

These are some techniques which educators can use in class:

Team teaching

When teachers take turns teaching the class, team teaching can also be called “tag team teaching” this is when both teachers act like they are doing a presentation together. You don’t plan what you say but you divide the lesson up, and when one of you makes a point the other can jump in with another point, Making teaching collaborative.

Benefits:

-       Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

-       Introduces students to complementary teaching styles and personalities

-       Allows for lessons to be presented by two different people with different teaching styles

-       Models for students what a successful collaborative working relationship can look like

-       Provides more opportunities to pursue teachable moments that may arise

Challenges:

-       Takes time and trust for teachers to build a working relationship that values each teacher equally in the classroom

-       Necessitates a lot of planning time and coordination of schedules

-       Requires teachers to have equal involvement not just in planning, but also in grading, which means assignments need to be evaluated using a rubric or other non-subjective methods

When to use it:

-       When all the students can benefit from the multiple strategies and having access to more than one teacher for more than one perspective.

-       Station teaching:

The class is divided into three or more groups and the classroom has multiple learning centers. As the students rotate through the stations, the teachers teach the same material in different ways to each group.

Both you and your co-teacher are responsible for planning and teaching an in-depth concept that helps meet the overall lesson goal.

What a station teaching looks like stations are set up in various areas of the classroom one for each teacher and with one independent student work.

Benefits:

·      Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

·      Allows teachers to use flexible grouping to tailor teaching to each groups’ needs

·      Lowers the student-teacher ratio

·      Resets student focus with each station rotation, increasing engagement

·      Provides time for students to engage with the content on their own as well as with teachers

·      Supports a UDL approach to teaching

·      Allows for more material to be covered in a shorter time frame

·      Provides a clear teaching responsibility for each adult in the room

Challenges:

·      Requires significant planning for teaching and material preparation

·      Students may not get to all of the stations if they’re not moving at the same pace

·      May be noisy and distracting for some students

·      Requires pre-teaching around expectations for independent work time

This teaching technique varies with depths of knowledge on a topic and the students would benefit from differentiated instruction.

Alternative teaching

one teacher instructs most of the class and the other teacher teaches an alternate or modified version of the lesson to a smaller group of students. Alternative teaching is also sometimes described as “big group/small group” teaching.

The classroom would look like one teacher is at the front of the room or roaming providing large group instruction, while the other teacher works with a small group of students in a different space.

Benefits:

·      Provides both teachers with an active instructional role

·      Allows for a lower student-teacher ratio

·      Provides additional support to struggling students without specifically singling them out

·      Gives a chance to re-teach, review, and pre-teach

·      Allows for intervention as well as enrichment opportunities

·      Let’s teachers use flexible groups

Challenges:

·      Requires strong data collection in order to group students appropriately

·      May make students feel self-conscious, especially if they’re often in the small group

·      Can be challenging to control for noise, distraction, and enough space when working in the same classroom

·      Needs careful planning to make sure students don’t miss material being taught to the large group

When there is a small group of students who need pre or re teaching of skills or content or who would benefit from enrichment on the topic.

understood.com. (n.d.). Understood.Com. Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://www.understood.org/articles/en/6-models-of-co-teaching

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There are several ways to teach collaboratively and I do not believe that one way is necessarily better than the other. I believe it comes down to the classroom you have and what the needs are that can help you determine which model works best for you and your co-teacher.
Station teaching is when the class is split up into several groups (three or more) and has multiple learning centers. The students will rotate throughout the different stations and the teachers will teach the same material in different ways. Other stations can be student lead and have a differentiation in level of rigor for higher and lower students for example. Each station should have different materials/assignments that revolve around the same lesson or concept.

Benefits:

Both teachers have an active role at all times

Small groups that help with differentiation

Teacher:student ratio is smaller

Engagement increase due to small/consistent changing groups allowing time for a quick mental break

More material covered in a shorter amount of time

Challenges:

Significant planning and prep of (enough) materials ahead of time

Depending on time restraints there is a chance not all students will experience every station

May be noisy and distracting for some students

Lesson prior needs to have been taught so students who are working independently know what/how to do stations

I originally used this teaching style with my co teacher during our play based centers time, we had 5 different tables, three independent tables and two with an adult. We used a timer that alerted us when to switch and had a "freeze" in place system with students as well as a rotation chart to help students during transition. After some time of using this during centers we began to use it in our math class, following the same system. It was particularly helpful for our students for differentiation purposes, as we had some students that were very high in math and needed more of a challenge. Overall I saw how it benefited students academically and socially, while also helping my co teacher and I be on the same page and both playing an active role in the student learning and engagement.

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Station Rotation: Differentiating Instruction to Reach All Students