https://padlet.com/lhfunk/pl3utck7f6ywkkbm Collaboration, Co-Teaching, or Coaching? en-us 2023-09-20 12:44:10 UTC 2023-09-20 14:21:44 UTC hello@padlet.com lhfunk https://padlet.com/lhfunk/pl3utck7f6ywkkbm/wish/2712914636 I have been a classroom teacher for eleven years and now am in my first year as a gifted resource specialist. I have found that the most willing participants for a collaborative/co-teaching, or coaching relationship is between the gifted teacher and the general education teacher. Due to the diversity of most public school classrooms, most teachers teach to the average learners in their classroom. In the situations where there are special education students who receive accommodations, there is usually a special education teacher or a paraprofessional in the room assisting. Unfortunately, the higher achieving and gifted students oftentimes get left out of the equation. Generally speaking, gifted students "go with the flow" and complete their assignments so they do not stand out. This is even more reason for the classroom teacher to reach out to the gifted resource specialist for support. In most cases, the classroom teachers are the ones initiating this collaboration. 

Gifted students innately desire a challenging curriculum. In the case where there is a co-teaching dynamic, the two teachers can manage differentiating the curriculum easier than it would be with just one teacher. Another benefit to this model is that a wider range of students will learn what they need to due to the shared expertise in the classroom. Where one teacher falls short, the other can pick up. Lastly, gifted students can gain back the excitement and engagement that may have been lost before the co-teacher joined the classroom. The additional challenges, depth and complexity brought into the classroom is a positive effect of a co-teaching model.]]> 2023-09-20 14:21:44 UTC https://padlet.com/lhfunk/pl3utck7f6ywkkbm/wish/2712914636