Collaboration and Co-Teaching

Strategies

FACILITATORS:
•Kathryn Curry
•Erica Hilliker

Adapted from Co-Teaching that Works: Ideas for School Administrators and Teachers, A.
Beninghof, 2010, Muskegon ISD
 Objectives

 We will identify and discuss different collaborative

practices and co-teaching models.
 We will plan ways to integrate collaborative
practices and co-teaching into our instructional
repertoire in order to improve student access and
outcomes.
 Agenda

 Activator- I SEE Strategy

 Co-Teaching Models
 Building Collaborative Relationships
 Summarizer- Tickets Out
 Activator

“I See” Strategy
I= Illustrate. What does co-teaching look like?
What images come to mind?
S= State in one simple sentence what it is.
Use your own words.
E= Elaborate on what you have just stated.
E= Examples. Add examples from your own
practice.
What is co-teaching?

• Two or more adults

• Simultaneously instructing a heterogeneous group of
students
• In a coordinated fashion

“Collaborative teaching is a service delivery structure in which teachers

with different knowledge, skills, and talents have joint responsibility for
designing, delivering, monitoring, and evaluating instruction for a
diverse group of learners in general education classrooms” (DeBoer &
Fister, 1995).
Co-Teaching is not…

 One teacher acting like a helper

 Just “showing up”
 Ignoring the needs of ELL students or students with
IEPs
 Teaching the same old way
 Failing to assist ANY student in need
 The Components of Co-Teaching

INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
PHYSICAL
CURRICULUM GOALS
ENVIRONMENT

TEACHING
CO-TEACHING FAMILIARITY WITH
PHILOSOPHY
COMPONENTS THE CURRICULUM
BELIEFS

ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONAL
PLANNING
INSTRUCTION

Gately, S., Gately, F., Understanding Co-teaching Components, Journal of Teaching Exceptional Children, 2 (3) 41-47
 Stages of Co-Teacher Development

•Both teachers direct some of

the activities in the classroom.
•Special educators offers mini-
lessons or clarifies strategies
that students may use.

Beginning Compromising Collaborative

Stage Stage Stage

•Teachers often •Both teachers participate in the

present separate presentation of the lesson,
lessons provide instruction and structure
•One teacher is the learning activities
“boss”; one is •The “chalk” passes freely
“helper” •Students address questions and
discuss concerns with both
Gately, S., Gately, F., Understanding Co-teaching Components, Journal teachers
of Teaching Exceptional Children, 2 (3) 41-47
 Co-Teaching Models:
 Lead and Support
 Duet
 Speak and Add/Chart
 Skills Group
 Station Teaching
 Learning Style
 Parallel Teaching
 Adapting
 Complementary Instruction
 Lead and Support

What it is…

Teacher A primary responsibility is planning a unit of

instruction

Teacher B shares in delivery, monitoring, and

evaluation
 Lesson Plan- Lead & Support Model

Standard: Read and understand a variety of non-fiction.

Objective: Increase Comprehension through comparison and contrast
Activity Supports
McGraw Hill pp. 376-382 Post It Notes

Read silently Page covers (“magic”)

Answer questions on p. 382
in pairs Highlighter tape

Develop and complete Colored acetate strips

graphic organizer with
teacher lesson. Partially completed graphic
organizers

Adapted assessment at end

of unit.
 Duet Model

What it is…

Teacher A Both teachers plan and design

Teacher B instruction. Teachers take turns
delivering various components of
the lesson.
 Speak and Add/Chart Model

What it is…

Teacher A primarily responsible for designing

and delivering
Teacher B adds and expands with questions,
rephrasing, anecdotes; recording key
information on charts, transparencies,
or board.
 Lesson Plan- Speak & Add/Chart Model

Standard: Read a variety of literary forms- describe character development in fiction.

Objective: Find similarities and differences among the 2 main characters of the novel.

Speak Add/Chart
Initiation: Venn diagram on overhead
Begin with hula hoops transparency

Body: Paper copies for students

Review meanings of
“similarities” Hula Hoops (3)

Guided brainstorming Wikki Stix

Higher order questions

Both teachers wander
Closure:
Students pair share
 Skills Group Model

What it is…

Teacher A Students are divided into 2-4 groups

Teacher B based on instructional level. Each
teacher takes primary responsibility
for planning for one or two groups.
Instruction may take place in small
groups or whole group with
differentiated levels.
 Lesson Plan- Skills Group Model

Standard: Writing- Student will write stories and simple explanations.

Objective: Write an organized paragraph for a multi-step process.
Activity Teacher Teacher

High Add dialogue between leprechaun and X

“hunter”

Average Worksheet graphic organizer 1,2,3 on X

left margin

Low Hop-step curtain with graphic X

organizer, then worksheets

Puff paint on worksheets for the 1,2,3

in green, yellow, red

Other Hop-step curtain X

Sticky labels for vocabulary extenders

 Station Teaching Model

What it is…

Teacher A responsible for overall instruction

Teacher B teaches a small group specific skills

they have not mastered
 Learning Style Model

What it is…

Teacher A Both teachers share in the design and

Teacher B delivery of instruction. One teacher is
primarily responsible for auditory and
visual instruction, the other for
tactile and kinesthetic instruction.
 Parallel Teaching Model

What it is…

Teacher A Both teachers plan and design. The

Teacher B class splits into two groups. Each
teacher takes a group for the entire
lesson.
 Adapting Model

What it is…

Teacher A primarily responsible for planning and

delivering a unit of instruction
Teacher B determines and provides adaptations
for students who are struggling
 Complementary Instruction Model

What it is…

Teacher A primarily responsible for delivering

core content
Teacher B primarily responsible for delivering
related instruction in the areas of
study and survival skills
Model Type: Advantages Challenges When would it
work best?
Lead and Support Model

Duet Model

Speak and Add/Chart Model

Skills Group Model

Station Teaching Model

Learning Style Model

Parallel Teaching Model

Adapting Model

Complementary Instruction
Model
 Collaborative Relationships

 Think about the successful collaborative

relationships you have had in your life -- both
personal and professional.
 What has made these relationships successful? Jot down key
words
 Walk about: Give one, get one

 What makes collaborative partnerships work?

Roles and Responsibilities of Collaborative Teachers

 The leader
 The supporter
 The techie
 The scribe
 The illustrator
 The evaluator
 Other roles
 Getting Started

• Review the elements of collaboration

• Identify personality strengths and weaknesses, areas
of expertise, learning styles, teaching styles and what
you can bring to the relationship
• Identify your values and beliefs on classroom
management, motivating students, what is fair,
assessment, grading, instructional strategies (‘more
is more’)
• Decide on the best times for meeting and planning
for everyone involved
Compare and Contrast: Collaborative Teaching Roles
and Responsibilities

Consider each teacher’s role:

Who will be Name: Name:

responsible for:
 Protocol for Collaborative Professional
Conversations on Co-teaching

• Co-teachers set aside 20 minutes for this activity. They agree to a set of
accepted parameters for this professional conversation.
• One co-teacher offers his or her account of successful aspects of the shared
co-teaching experience. The other co-teacher is silent and takes notes. (3
minutes)
• The same step is repeated with the second co-teacher. (3 minutes)
• Each teacher takes a turn to clarify one key element in the other’s
presentation. (3 minutes total)
• Co-teachers start an open discussion to analyze the reasons for their
successes and/or identify any other contributing factors that hindered the
success. (8 minutes)
• The session is concluded with each co-teacher reflecting on the
conversation and identifying one specific goal or step for the future. (3
minutes)

Adapted from Easton, L. B. (February/March 2009). Protocols: A facilitator’s best friend. Tools for
Schools, 12 (3). p. 6.
 Powerful Questions to Try:

• What do you want from your co-teaching partnership?

• Try to envision success. Can you describe it?
• What will you have to do to achieve this?
• What stops you?
• What options do you have?
• What other options are there?
• How will you or others know when it’s worked?
• What would it look like to your students?
• What would your students be doing differently?
• What’s next?
 Objectives

 We will identify and discuss different collaborative

practices and co-teaching models.
 We will plan ways to integrate collaborative
practices and co-teaching into our instructional
repertoire in order to improve student access and
outcomes.
 Summarizer

I think…
I feel…
I wonder…