Co-Teaching
The Montana State University Office of Field Placement and Licensure favors the co-teaching model for Student Teaching. Learn more about this below.
To access a PowerPoint tutorial of this content, please click here.
What you will learn about Co-teaching:
1. Define co-teaching in the context of clinical practice.
2. Articulate differences between traditional model and co-teaching models of clinical practice.
3. Describe the co-teaching attitude and assess benefits.
4. Examine strengths and limitations of a co-teaching situation.
4. Articulate how each co-teaching strategy might be used in a given classroom.
Traditional Model of Student Teaching: “Student teaching hasn’t changed much in 90 years” (Guyton & McIntyre, 1990).
Traditional Model:
Teacher Candidate functions as an observer at “the back of the classroom.”
Teacher Candidate serves as an assistant.
Teacher Candidate finally begins to get involved.
What is co-teaching?
Co-teaching is defined as two teachers working together with groups of students sharing the
planning,
organization,
delivery and assessment of instruction,
as well as the physical space.
(TQE, St. Cloud State University, 2008)
When does co-teaching begin?
When the teacher candidate enters the classroom for the first time!
Co-teaching is an attitude....
...an attitude of sharing the classroom and students
Co-Teachers must always be thinking...we're both teaching!
Co-teaching is a Partnership
But...
The cooperating teacher is still responsible for content, implementation, and management
The cooperating teacher is the final authority
Have a positive effect on student learning
Increase instructional options for all students
Reduce student/teacher ratio
Address diversity and size of today's classroom
Enhance classroom management
increase student participation and engagement
Enhance collaboration skills
One teacher has primary responsibility while the other gathers specific observational information on students or the (instructing) teacher. The key to this strategy is to focus the observation; the teacher doing the observation is observing specific behaviors.
Example: One teacher can observe students for their understanding of directions while the lead teacher practices strategies for giving clear instructionsAn extension of One Teach, One Observe. One teacher has primary instructional responsibility while the other assists students with their work, monitors behaviors, or corrects assignments.
Example: While one teacher has the instructional lead, the person assisting can monitor and correct hard-to-detect, off-task student behaviors.
The co-teaching pair divides the instructional content into parts – Each teacher instructs one of the groups, groups then rotate or spend a designated amount of time at each station – often an independent station will be used along with the teacher led stations.
Example: One teacher might lead a station where the students play a money math game and the other teacher could have a mock store where the students purchase items and make change.
Each teacher instructs half the students. The two teachers are addressing the same instructional material and presenting the material using the same teaching strategy. The greatest benefit to this approach is the reduction of student to teacher ratio.
Example: Both teachers are leading a question and answer discussion on specific current events and the impact they have on our economy.
This strategy allows one teacher to work with students at their expected grade level, while the other teacher works with those students who need the information and/or materials retaught, extended or remediated.
Example: One teacher may work with students who need re-teaching of a concept while the other teacher works with the rest of the students on enrichment.
Alternative teaching strategies provide two different approaches to teaching the same information. The learning outcome is the same for all students however the avenue for getting there is different.
Example: One instructor may lead a group in predicting prior to reading by looking at the cover of the book and the illustrations, etc. The other instructor accomplishes the same outcome but with his/her group, the students predict by connecting the items pulled out of the bag with the story.
Well planned, team taught lessons, exhibit an invisible flow of instruction with no prescribed division of authority. Using a team teaching strategy, both teachers are actively involved in the lesson. From a students’ perspective, there is no clearly defined leader – as both teachers share the instruction, are free to interject information, and available to assist students and answer questions.
Example: Both instructors can share the reading of a story
or text so that the students are hearing two voices.
Collaboration, Communication and Relationship
Co-teaching is not a comfortable relationship for all professionals. The issues of sharing responsibility, modifying teaching styles and preferences, and working closely with another adult represent serious challenges for some educators.
Yet for others these same issues are a source of excitement that can lead to renewed enthusiasm about teaching.
Thus, a first step for most co-teachers is to examine carefully their own readiness for the professional and personal demands of co-teaching, particularly the demands related to working closely with another professional (Cook & Friend, 1995)
While co-teaching may not work for everyone and every situation, the benefits to students, to teacher candidates, and for the cooperating teacher can make the investments of time, effort, and self-reflection very worthwhile!
We were able to work very well together as a result of co-teaching. We planned and developed incredible units and did a lot of wonderful learning activities with the kids that they would not have benefited from had we not co-taught. We have two different teaching styles but were able to bring the best of our styles together to benefit the kids’ learning. This was a GREAT EXPERIENCE! Teacher Candidate
St. Cloud State University, 2010
