2009 Inclusion

Facilitator Network

Together Were Better:
Collaborative Teaming
Identify three approaches to collaborative teaming
Engage in goal setting with your teaching partner
Name 5 grouping structures associated with co-
teaching
Self-assess the status of your collaborative
relationship
Develop a plan for enhancing your co-teaching
relationship
Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
-Henry Ford
Change is:
Risky
Scary
Anxiety provoking

But it can also
be:
Rewarding
Fun
Well worth the
effort
What is Collaboration?

Shared responsibility
Reciprocity of ideas
Interactive communication
Problem-solving
Conflict resolution
Deliberate
Structured
Systematic
Ongoing
Steele, Bell, & George, 2005
Some possibilities:
Little understanding of curriculum,
instruction, and assessment between
general and special educators
Collaboration does not occur without a
student-driven reason and a deliberate
structure with resources
General educators begin with the
curriculum first and use assessment to
determine what was learned
Special educators begin with assessment
first and design instruction to repair gaps in
learning
No wonder we are talking different
languages
Steele, Bell, & George, 2005
Consultation
Coaching
Co-teaching


List circumstances
where a Consultation
and Coaching
approach may be
more appropriate than
a Co-teaching model
Collaboration requires thoughtful planning time
Administrative support is essential
Here is where the alignment of special and
general education occurs
Make this time as focused as possible
Take turns taking the lead in planning and
facilitating
Murawski & Dieker, 2004; Dieker, 2002
What is Co-teaching?
Both teachers take part in
1. planning
2. teaching
3. evaluating students performance

Co-Teaching is two or more professionals
delivering substantive instruction to a diverse
or blended group of students in a single space.

Friend & Cook, (1995). Co-Teaching: Guidelines for creating effective practices. Focus on
Exceptional Children
Establishing a co-teaching
relationship
Ease into working with one another
Deal with the little things first
These can become the
deal-breakers down the road, and preventing these
road blocks early
can make life easier
Sharing Hopes, Attitudes, Responsibilities, and
Expectations



1. My hopes for this co-teaching relationship are:

2. My attitude/philosophy regarding teaching
students with disabilities in a general
education classroom is:

3. I would like to have the following
responsibilities in a co-taught classroom:

4. I would like my co-teacher to have the
following responsibilities:
Time to
Consider completing a teaching style inventory
Compare how each of you prefers to structure assignments,
lessons,
classroom schedule, etc.
Online
http://www.longleaf.net/teachingstyle.html
Free
Take and score it immediately
Useful tool for dialogue about instructional philosophy and
style
Finding time to plan
Planning for Instruction

Co-teaching teams should have a
minimum of one planning period
(4560 minutes) per week
Experienced teams should spend
10 minutes to plan each lesson
Dieker, 2001
Make the weekly planning time
sacred and non-negotiable
Each teacher should review
content in advance of meeting
Maximize the time: stay focused
Guide the session with the following
fundamental questions:
What are the content goals?
Who are the learners and what are their unique
needs?
How can we teach most effectively?

Establish timelines and priorities
Assign preparation tasks to both individuals equitably
Lesson materials
Student accommodations/modifications
Determine how plans will be shared with paraeducators
or other support staff as needed

Adapted from Walther-Thomas, Bryant, & Land, 1996
Supportive Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Complementary Teaching
Station Teaching
Team Teaching
Benefits
Extra attention for kids
Requires less preparation
Good place to start, esp. if
one teacher is learning
curriculum

Drawbacks
Doesnt maximize
professional skills of both
teachers
Support person may feel
less valued
Research doesnt support
effectiveness
Benefits
More opportunities for
interaction and practice
Can differentiate
presentation
Both teachers actively
involved

Drawbacks
Can be noisy
Both teachers must be
comfortable with content
Kids may have unequal
experiences
Requires planning for
pacing
Benefits
Smaller groups more
interaction and practice
Both teachers actively
teaching
Differentiation of
instruction
Allows for re-teaching,
enrichment, etc.
Drawbacks
Can be noisy
Can lead to
resegregation by ability
Requires careful planning
of groupings, pacing, etc.
Benefits
Opportunities for more
interaction, hands-on
activities
Movement, variety,
application promote
learning and retention
Can create more, smaller
groups by adding
independent station
Drawbacks
Can be noisy/busy
Teachers can focus on a
smaller piece of content
Groups need to be
designed carefully
Activities needed to be
planned for pacing, etc.

Benefits
Kids benefit from
content and strategy
expertise
Teachers clarify, model,
etc.
Both teachers actively
involved

Drawbacks
Requires extensive
planning and trust
Doesnt provide smaller
group interaction
It depends! For example

Supportive teaching as a first step
Parallel teaching to practice a new skill
Complementary teaching for enrichment
Stations for end-of-unit review
Team teaching for start of lesson then move to
stations
Work Smarter Not Harder: A tip from the classroom
General education gives/emails plans in advance
Collaborative planning time is focused on differentiation and
discussing individual student modifications as needed
Special educator prepares modifications as needed
Beginning
Compromising
Collaborative
Gately, 2005



Beginning
Familiarity w/
Curriculum
Curric Goals &
Modifications
Instructional
Presentation
-SE unfamiliar with
content/methodology
-GE limited
understanding of
modifying curriculum
-Unfamiliarity creates a
lack of confidence in both
teachers
-Modifications and
accommodations are
generally restricted to those
identified in the IEP; little
interaction regarding
modifications to the
curriculum
-Special educators role is
seen as helper
-Teachers often present
separate lessons
-One teacher is boss; one
is helper


Compromising
-SE develops a solid
understanding of the
content of the curriculum
-SE gains confidence to
make suggestions for
modifications and
accommodations
-General educator may view
modifications as giving up
or watering down the
curriculum
-Both teachers direct some
of the activities in the
classroom
-Special educator offers
mini-lessons or clarifies
strategies that students
may use


Collaborative
-GE becomes more
willing to modify the
curriculum, increased
sharing in planning &
teaching
-Both appreciate the
specific curriculum
competencies that they
bring to the content area
-Both begin to differentiate
concepts that all must know
from concepts that most
should know
-Modifications of content,
activities, homework, and
tests become the norm for
students who require them
-Both participate in the
presentation of the lesson
-The chalk passes freely
-Students address
questions and discuss
concerns with both
teachers
Gately &
Gately, 2001
Where is your co-
teaching
relationship along
each domain?
What steps can
you take to get to
the collaboration
stage?